March 8, 2008

Box Score

CHICAGO - Host Loyola dug itself a sizable hole in the first half and could never fully recover in a 75-62 loss to Cleveland State this afternoon in the regular season finale for both teams at the Gentile Center. The Ramblers (7-22, 5-13 Horizon) enter Horizon League Championship play as the No. 9 seed and will face No. 8 UIC in a first round game on Monday night. Cleveland State wraps up the regular season at 16-13 (9-9).

Cleveland State roared out of the gates, blistering the nets from the three-point line. An early 10-2 run turned a 4-4 tie into a 14-6 Viking lead but Loyola was able to hang tough and pulled within three on a Maggie McCloskey three-ball at the 13:17 mark. Kailey Klein answered with another three for CSU to boost the lead back to six and two more treys pushed the lead to double figures (26-16) with 11:08 on the clock. Brittany Boeke scored in the paint to cut the deficit to single digits with just over three minutes left in the half but the hot-shooting Vikings were able to extend to a 49-31 halftime lead. The Ramblers, which came into the game leading the conference in three-point field goal defense, saw the Vikings bury nine in the opening period (9 of 20), surpassing the previous high LU had given up in a single game this year.

Boeke and Jessica Hylton keyed an early second-half surge that saw LU pull within 11 with over 16 minutes to play as increased defensive intensity helped got a couple of stops. The deficit remained at 11 after Boeke hit a free throw to make it 61-50 with 11:58 still to play but Loyola's offense went stagnant as LU turned it over three times and missed three shots with chances to make a run. A Hylton triple later made it an eight-point deficit but CSU was able to answer after a couple of offensive rebounds to make it a double-figure game again and Loyola would get no closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Hylton was terrific for the Ramblers, pumping in 15 of her career-high 25 points in the second half. The sophomore knocked down 9 of 16 from the floor (5-10 3FGs) and narrowly missed a double-double with nine rebounds. She was joined in double figures by Boeke, who continued her solid form with 16 points and eight rebounds. Klein led Cleveland State with 25 points and 13 boards.

Loyola split its two regular-season meetings with UIC with each winning on its home court. Check back with www.loyolaramblers.com for all the updated information on the 2008 Horizon League Championship.