CHICAGO -- In a midweek matchup at home, sophomore MD Ntambue hit the buzzer-beating shot to lead Loyola Chicago over Arkansas State on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The Ramblers (2-1, 0-0 A10) had three players in double figures, led by Ntambue with 16 points, six rebounds and four assists -- all career-bests. Sophomore Angela Le Faou also had a career night, adding 15 points and six rebounds, and junior Gabby Wilke helped out with a season-best 10 points from the bench.
Loyola was the better rebounding team, holding a 52-32 advantage, paced by rookie Gemma Wichmann's game and career-high 16 boards. The Ramblers grabbed 18 offensive rebounds, turning them into 15 second chance points.
"We're back in the late game situations; I can't believe it ended up another buzzer beater, but we challenged our group at halftime to lock in defensively. We were tremendous in the second half, executing our game plan and being more aggressive against their pressure, touching the paint, taking advantage of their fouls and getting to the free throw line," said head coach Morgan Paige. "MD was fantastic leading the charge in that. We had a lot of people step up, and to me, it was a team effort of execution down the stretch. We're building confidence, trust in our system and what works for us, and I like to see it continue to go well."
How It Happened
After falling behind 8-0, Loyola went on an 11-0 run with 6:26 left in the first quarter to take an 11-8 lead. The Ramblers then surrendered that lead and entered the second quarter down 14-13. Loyola's deficit grew, facing a 41-26 disadvantage at halftime.
The Ramblers turned it on in the second half, cutting into the Red Wolves' lead at 49-35 before going on a 6-0 run to catch up at 49-41 with just under three minutes to go in the third quarter. Loyola had 19 points, scoring 14 of them in the paint, and limited Arkansas State to 12 as they entered the fourth quarter, trailing 53-45.
Loyola came out clicking on all cylinders in the final quarter, going on an 8-0 run, finished off by Ntambue's jumper, to level the score at 53 all with 4:58 to go. The Ramblers kept rallying, outscoring the Red Wolves 18-8 and outrebounding them 11-6. Ntambue's jumper with 00:01 left sealed the deal for Loyola, grabbing a 63-61.
Inside the Box Score
- Multiple Ramblers met career and season highs: Ntambue, Le Faou, Wilke and Wichmann.
- The Ramblers forced 14 turnovers and held the Red Wolves to only 33.3 percent shooting from the field.
- Loyola's bench made an impact, scoring 19 points.
- Loyola's season and home opening win against Wright State (Nov. 3) also finished in buzzer-beater fashion.
Up Next
Loyola stays home to host Milwaukee on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 1 p.m.
