Feb. 11, 2010
Box Score
CHICAGO - Loyola dug itself an early hole and it could never get over the hump in the second half, dropping a 63-56 decision to Detroit tonight at the Gentile Center. The Ramblers drop to 12-11 (6-6 Horizon) after losing their third straight home game. Detroit maintains the top spot in the Horizon League, improving to 12-11 (10-2).
The Ramblers were done in by a listless start in which they missed 17 of their first 18 shots, falling behind 21-2 after nine minutes. A three-point play by Elyse VanBogaert and a three-pointer from Maggie McCloskey helped LU begin the slow climb back into the game and a Monica Albano three-pointer minutes later cut the deficit to 10 (24-14) at the 7:24 mark. Detroit's Sierra Spaude hit a three-pointer to boost the UDM lead back to 15 (35-20) but the Ramblers battled back, scoring the next seven points to make it a 35-27 game in the final seconds, but the Titans took a 38-27 lead into intermission, as Lauren Allen banked in a three-pointer at the buzzer.
Ellen Ayoub opened the second half with back-to-back three-pointers to pull Loyola within five (38-33), and it finally seemed the Ramblers had found their rhythm. However, Detroit rattled off the next seven to restore a double-digit advantage and the LU deficit ranged from eight to 12 points for the majority of the half. Katie Kortekamp knocked down a long three to cut it to six and the Ramblers cut it to four (58-54) after a Shannon Finnegan hoop with 1:48 left. However, a foul with one second on the shot clock gave the Titans two free throws, which they cashed in, and they knocked down three more free throws to seal the win.
VanBogaert narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds to lead the Ramblers. Keisha Collins finished with 10 points and seven assists while McCloskey pitched in with nine points.
Loyola looks to snap its three-game home losing streak when it hosts Wright State on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., the first game of a Loyola tripleheader that includes men's volleyball versus Ohio State (4 p.m.) and culminates with Loyola's men's basketball team taking on UIC at 7 p.m.
