In Short…
Loyola University Chicago whittled a 24-point first-half deficit down to just three late in the fourth quarter, but was unable to complete its comeback as Western Michigan (7-4) picked up a 70-60 win this evening at Gentile Arena.  Tonight's defeat sees the Ramblers close non-conference play at 9-2 overall.
 
How It Happened
Following an Abby O'Connor jumper that knotted the game up at 2-2 just 1:15 in, a Jordan Walker layup sparked an 11-0 Western Michigan run that pushed the Broncos out in front, 13-2.  Allison Day finished inside with just 1:53 remaining to briefly trim the deficit back down to single digits, 13-4, before back-to-back scores from Reilly Jacobson and Breanna Mobley gave the visitors a 17-4 lead at the end of the opening frame.
 
Janae Gonzales connected on her first of two threes on the evening less than a minute into the second quarter to cut Western Michigan's lead to 19-7.  The Broncos responded with eight unanswered points, a surge that was capped off by a Maddie Watters triple, to open up a 27-7 advantage.  After seeing Western Michigan stretch the gap to 36-12 at the 3:51 mark, Loyola closed the half with a 7-0 run, punctuated by a Day jumper, to claw back within 36-19 at halftime.
 
Loyola continued its push coming out of the locker room, with an old-fashioned three-point play from Tiara Wallace cutting the Western Michigan lead to 43-32 with 5:37 to play in the third quarter.  The Broncos seemingly had an answer for every Rambler push, as a deep triple from Jacobson upped the margin back to 55-40 with just over a minute remaining.  O'Connor answered back with a three of her own just 22 seconds later to trim the margin to 55-43 heading to the fourth quarter.
 
Following a pair of Jacobsen free throws that pushed the gap to 63-48, Loyola locked in on the defensive end, holding Western Michigan scoreless for nearly five minutes as it furiously battled back.  An Ellie Rice jumper with only 5:20 remaining in regulation laid the foundation for a 12-0 run that saw Maya Dunson drill a three to make it a one-possession game, 63-60, with just 1:18 to play.  Western Michigan would prove to have the final say, as Walker scored on the Broncos' ensuing possession as part of a game-ending 7-0 spurt that saw Western Michigan escape with a victory.
 
Inside The Box Score
- O'Connor paced the Ramblers on the evening with 17 points (6-10 FGs, 3-3 3FGs, 2-2 FTs) to go along with three rebounds, four assists, a block, and a steal.
- Day added 12 points (5-11 FGs, 2-3 FTs) and six rebounds, while Rice came close to a double-double, chipping in seven points (3-8 FGs, 1-2 3FGs) and nine rebounds in addition to a team-best three steals.
- After being held just 2-of-15 (13.3%) from the field in the first quarter, Loyola shot just over 51 percent (22-of-43) over the final 30 minutes to close the night at 41.4 percent (24-of-58) from the floor.
- Walker led all scorers with 21 points (8-15 FGs, 2-5 3FGs, 3-5 FTs) to headline a quartet of Broncos to score in double figures.
 
Up Next
Loyola opens Missouri Valley Conference play on Friday, January 3 at 3 p.m. when it welcomes No. 21/19 Missouri State, the league's reigning tournament champion, to Gentile Arena.