Tipping Off
The Loyola University Chicago women's basketball prepares for the possibility of its first-ever home-and-home sweep of an Atlantic 10 foe tomorrow (Feb. 21) as it hosts Massachusetts inside Gentile Arena. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CT with the game streaming live on ESPN+ and NBC Sports Digital. Julianne Viani and Tabitha Turner will call the action.

Quick Hits

• Wednesday is the program's annual Breast Cancer Awareness game. Loyola Chicago has paired up with the Play4Kay Foundation to encourage Rambler fans to join the fight against cancer.
• The Play4Kay Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting all cancers affecting women with support through giving strength, courage, and hope.
• Kay Yow was the head coach of the NC State Wolfpack women's basketball team from 1975 to 2009. A member of the Naismith Hall of Fame, she had over 700 career wins before she passed away on Jan. 24, 2009, from stage 4 breast cancer.
• The first 150 students in attendance will receive a free Rambler hockey jersey. Be sure to get to Gentile early to secure your jersey!
• The Ramblers look to end a three-game skid, having most recently lost at Richmond last Saturday (Feb. 17) in the final minutes.
• Loyola overcame a first-quarter 16-point deficit and gained a two-point lead with five minutes left in regulation, but ultimately fell, 75-71.
• The Ramblers outscored the Spiders, 19-9 and 25-23, in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.  
• Loyola Chicago finds strength in the second half of contests. This season, it has outscored its foes, 909-872, in the final two quarters and 10-5 in overtime.
• Sam Galanopoulos' 21 points, her ninth time logging double digits in the past 10 games, led the Ramblers' offense in the loss.
• Galanopoulos' 13.5 points per game ranks 11th-most in the Atlantic 10 while Alyssa Fisher's 13.7 is 10th-most. 
• Galanopoulos also ranks No. 4 in the A-10's assists per game (4.2) and No. 3 in assist/turnover ratio (2.0). Additionally, her 46-percent clip from beyond the arc ranks No. 3.
• Scoring on Sitori Tanin in the post is no easy task. She's averaging 1.4 blocks per game, the fourth-most in the league. Meanwhile, she brings down 6.3 rebounds per game, ranking 11th.

2023-24 Rambler Bites

• Seven letterwinners return to the roster, including three starters. The Ramblers welcome six newcomers, including two freshman and four transfers.
• In addition to new players, Loyola added assistant coach Simon Harris and assistant coach Jenna Rubino-McCormick to the program in the off-season.
• Head coach Allison Guth is in her second season at the helm of Loyola. She enters her eighth year as a head coach after spending the first six seasons at Yale.

Scouting The UMass Minutewomen

• Mike Leflar is in his first season as a head coach. His squad owns a 3-24 overall mark and are 1-14 in A-10 games. 
• UMass was the co-defending 2022-23 Atlantic 10 Regular Season Champion.
• UMass is coming off a 63-49 loss to VCU at home this past Saturday. Stefanie Kulesza led the Minutewomen with 13 points, going 4-of-8 from the field and 3-of-6 from deep. She added five rebounds and three assists.
• Kulesza is a 6-foot-0 guard who averages 7.0 rebounds per game, the seventh-most in the A-10.
• Chinenye Odenigbo tied her career-high in scoring in her first career start with 10 points.
• Kristin Williams, a prolific scorer, averages 12.0 points per game, ranking No. 20 in the league.

All-Time Against UMass

• Loyola previously met Massachusetts this season on Jan. 17 and won, 79-66.
• Four Ramblers scored in double figures: Galanopoulos (22), Alyssa Fisher (17). Tanin (11) and Sophia Nolan (10).
• Loyola's 58-percent (28-of-48) clip from the field and its 57-percent (8-of-14) clip from long range were (and still are) its best shooting percentages of the season.
• Last season's 76-59 loss to UMass was Loyola Chicago's first-ever meeting with the Minutewomen.
• Tanin scored a then-career-high 19 points in the loss.

Last Time Out
The Loyola University Chicago women's basketball came back from being down 16 points and briefly led Richmond in the fourth quarter, but ultimately suffered a 75-71 defeat Saturday night on the road. Sam Galanopoulos' game-high 21 points led three other Ramblers in double figures.

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Tickets for Loyola Chicago's home games are on sale now! Adult tickets are priced at $8. Youth (ages 4-14) and faculty/staff tickets are available for $5. Groups can purchase tickets at a reduced rate. These group tickets need to be purchased in advance. You can arrange your group outing by calling 773-508-WOLF. Click here to purchase.