HENRICO, Va. – No. 8 Loyola Chicago received a double-double from Alexus Mobley but fell 71-64 to top-seeded Rhode Island in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Championship on Friday at the Henrico Sports & Events Center.

"We're really proud of our effort and fight as a team against an unbelievably talented Rhode Island group," said Loyola Chicago Head Coach Allison Guth. With such a quick turnaround, I thought our players did a great job committing to the scout, especially after only seeing them once earlier this season. We struggled a bit in the first quarter and let Gray get hot from beyond the arc, but we made some good adjustments and competed the rest of the way. If you watched the game, you saw team 47 leave everything out there, especially with the way we battled in the fourth quarter."

Mobley finished with 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting and pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds to lead the Ramblers (14-17). Brooklyn Vaughn added 16 points on an efficient 7-of-11 performance with two steals, while Alex-Anne Bessette chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds.

Loyola shot 42.4 percent from the field and committed a season-low seven turnovers in the contest.

Rhode Island (26-4) was led by Brooklyn Gray with 16 points, including three three-pointers, while Palmire Mbu added 14 points and six rebounds and Albina Syla contributed 13 points.

How it Happened
Loyola fell behind early as Rhode Island used two first-quarter three-pointers from Gray to build a 16-10 lead after the opening period.

The Ramblers responded in the second quarter, opening with a 7-0 run. A fast-break score from Mobley followed by a three-point play from Bessette gave Loyola a 17-16 lead with 6:24 remaining in the half. Vaughn added a layup later in the quarter to put Loyola back in front, but Rhode Island closed the period with a 5-0 spurt to take a 29-24 advantage into halftime.

Rhode Island created separation in the third quarter, shooting 62.5 percent from the floor in the period and extending its lead to 53-42 entering the final frame.

The Rams pushed the margin to their largest of the afternoon, 60-44, early in the fourth quarter before Loyola mounted its final charge.

The Ramblers responded with an 11-0 run fueled by inside play from Mobley and aggressive drives to the basket, cutting the deficit to 60-55 with 3:24 remaining. Loyola scored 12 of its 22 fourth-quarter points in the paint and finished the game with a 38-30 advantage in points in the paint.

Rhode Island answered at the free throw line down the stretch, converting 20-of-24 attempts for the game, including 8-of-8 in the fourth quarter, to secure the 71-64 victory.

Game Notes

• Loyola committed a season-low seven turnovers.
• Mobley recorded her second career double-double with 19 points and a season-high 11 rebounds.
• Vaughn scored 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting with two steals.
• Bessette finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
• Loyola outscored Rhode Island in the paint, 38-30.
• The Ramblers' bench held a 13-12 scoring edge.

Up Next
Loyola will await its postseason fate on Selection Sunday (March 15).