CHICAGO - Loyola Chicago forced 24 turnovers and overcame an early double-digit deficit to secure a 59-56 victory over Oakland on Monday morning at Gentile Arena on Field Trip Day.

"I'm so proud of the university, first and foremost, for the electric environment we had today," I can't thank Brian Day and his staff enough for everything they put into Field Trip Day. It was amazing for our women to play in front of a crowd like that. I think there were 72 buses and nearly 4,000 kids in the gym — the atmosphere was incredible. I wanted to acknowledge that first and express our gratitude, and I'm also so happy that we were finally able to celebrate a win together,".

How it Happened
Oakland (3-7, 0-2 Horizon) opened the game on a 12-2 run and stretched its lead to 16-7 midway through the first quarter. Loyola (3-7, 0-1 Atlantic 10) responded with an 11-4 run to close the period, sparked by Alexa Kinas, who scored five of the Ramblers' 13 first-quarter points. Loyola forced seven Oakland turnovers in the opening 10 minutes and trailed just 16-13 after one.

The Ramblers continued to pressure the ball in the second quarter, forcing turnovers on Oakland's first two possessions. A 6-0 run pulled Loyola within one at 25-24 with 4:12 left in the half, and Brooklyn Vaughn's turnaround jumper at the 2:11 mark gave Loyola its first lead at 26-25. Oakland edged back in front late, but Loyola went into halftime leading one, 28-27, after scoring eight of its 15 second-quarter points in the paint.

Loyola surged out of the break behind Bessette, who scored consecutive layups to give the Ramblers a 32-27 lead. Oakland answered with a 5-0 run, but Bessette halted the momentum with a 3-pointer at 4:32. With the game tied at 37-37, Loyola closed the quarter on an 8-1 run, capped by a Rosalie Mercille and-one, to take a 45-38 advantage.

The Ramblers never relinquished the lead in the fourth quarter. Loyola knocked down two 3-pointers in the final period and made key defensive stops down the stretch to hold off Oakland's final push and secure the three-point win.

Game Notes

• Loyola forced 24 turnovers while committing just 11, finishing with 13 fewer giveaways than Oakland.
• The Ramblers recorded an assist on 86 percent of made field goals.
• Loyola's 19 assists were a season-high.
• Loyola collected 13 offensive rebounds and scored four second-chance points.
• Bessette finished with a game-high 18 points, while Mercille added 13 and Kinas contributed 11 points, four assists and three steals.
• Vaughn added eight points.
• Clara Djoko grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.
• Loyola's defense held Oakland to 40 percent shooting from the field and 26.7 percent from 3-point range, limiting Makenzie Luehring to 3-for-13 shooting.
• The Ramblers never trailed in the second half.
• Attendance of 3,825 on Field Trip Day set a new program record.
• The win marked Loyola's first home victory of the season.

Up Next
Loyola is next in action this Thursday (Dec. 18) at Northwestern. Tip-off is slated for 11 a.m. on Big Ten Plus.