HENRICO, Va. - Alex-Anne Bessette, Alexa Kinas and Brooklyn Vaughn combined for 46 of Loyola Chicago's 61 points as No. 8 seed Loyola Chicago rallied late to defeat No. 9 seed Saint Bonaventure, 61-59, in the second round of the Atlantic 10 Championship on Thursday at the Henrico Sports & Events Center.
"Team 47 believes in each other, and they believe in what we're doing," said Loyola Chicago Head Coach Allison Guth. "We had more assists today, which was great. We outrebounded the Bonnies, which was great. We do have to clean up our turnovers a little bit. But when you've got a freshman like Alex-Anne playing with the confidence she has—knowing she can score from beyond the arc and grab six rebounds for us—it makes a big difference."
Loyola Chicago (14-16) had three players score in double figures, led by Bessette, who totaled 20 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Kinas added 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Vaughn chipped in 10 points.
The Ramblers shot well from beyond the arc, knocking down nine 3-pointers on 23 attempts. Bessette led the effort with four makes from deep.
Defensively, Loyola Chicago held Saint Bonaventure to 39.3% shooting from the field and just 26.3% from 3-point range. The Ramblers also limited Laycee Drake to 5-of-17 shooting. Saint Bonaventure struggled to generate second-chance opportunities, finishing with six offensive rebounds and six second-chance points while Loyola collected 28 defensive boards.
How it Happened
After the teams were tied 4-4 early in the first quarter, Loyola Chicago used an 8-0 run — capped by a Kinas basket — to build a 12-4 lead with 7:33 remaining. Saint Bonaventure responded and took an 18-16 advantage into the second quarter.
The Bonnies extended their lead to 21-18 before Loyola Chicago answered with a 6-0 run to move ahead 24-21. Saint Bonaventure closed the half strong, however, taking a 32-31 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, the Ramblers went on a 7-0 run — highlighted by a Bessette 3-pointer — to claim a 40-34 lead with 7:07 remaining. Saint Bonaventure rallied to tie the game at 50-50 heading into the fourth quarter. Loyola Chicago scored 12 of its 19 points in the period from beyond the arc.
The Bonnies later built a 59-54 lead before the Ramblers responded with a decisive 7-0 run. Bessette's layup with 42 seconds remaining gave Loyola Chicago a 61-59 advantage, which held as the final score to send the Ramblers into the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals.
Game Notes
- Loyola Chicago advanced to the Atlantic 10 Championship quarterfinals for the second time ever with the win.
- Loyola Chicago made nine 3-pointers in the game, a season-best.
- The Ramblers held Saint Bonaventure to 39.3 percent shooting from the field.
- Bessette, Kinas and Vaughn combined for 46 of Loyola Chicago's 61 points (75 percent).
- Loyola Chicago held a 33-27 rebounding advantage.
- Bessette scored a game-high 20 points.
- Alexus Mobley notched a season-high four assists.
- Bessette and Kinas each grabbed six rebounds.
Up Next
The Ramblers will face No. 1 seed Rhode Island on tomorrow (March 5) at 10 a.m. CT on USA Network.
