Feb. 23, 2008

Box Score

CHICAGO - Green Bay's Lavesa Glover scored with 5.4 seconds left to sent Loyola to a heart-breaking 52-51 defeat this afternoon at the Gentile Center. The basket came after the Ramblers rattled off eight consecutive points to take a one-point lead with 11.6 seconds left. Loyola sinks to 6-19 (4-10 Horizon) while the Phoenix clinch the outright regular season Horizon League title and improve to 22-4 (14-1).

"I am so proud of our team and how we fought and battled," said head coach Shannon Reidy. "I told them that for 39:55 we beat the first-place team in our league. More importantly, I was happy with how we bounced back, defensively, after struggling on that end on Thursday (against Milwaukee). To put the clamps on that team, that is almost like a machine the way they run their stuff, says a lot about our focus on the defensive end."

The game was nip-and-tuck the whole way and the three minutes gave the game a fitting end. Loyola was staring at a 50-43 deficit with 2:45 left after a steal and lay-up by the Phoenix's Rachel Porath before rallying. Maggie McCloskey shook free for a three-pointer to cut the deficit to four and, after a defensive stop, Jessica Hylton knocked down a triple to draw the Ramblers within one, 50-49, with 1:01 left. Elyse VanBogaert came up with a steal on the ensuing Green Bay possession to give LU the ball back and the sophomore was fouled at the basket with 11.6 seconds left. VanBogaert canned both charity tosses to give Loyola a 51-50 lead before Kati Harty set up Glover for the eventual game-winner. Loyola had one last chance but the ball was knocked away from Keisha Collins and right to Taryn Randle, whose lay-up came after the horn.

The late-game drama came after a first half in which both teams struggled to put points on the board. Loyola shot just 37% in the period and turned the ball over 10 times while Green Bay, which entered the game shooting 49% as a team for the season, hit just 5 of 22 (23%) from the floor and turned it over eight times.

However, the Phoenix went 12 of 14 from the line in the opening half and finished the game 21 of 26 from the stripe compared to just 3 of 7 for Loyola.

McCloskey and Hylton each had 13 points to lead the Ramblers. Glover (11 rebounds) and Kayla Groh paced the Phoenix with 13 points as well.

The Ramblers hit the road next for a pair of road games. The trip commences with a Thursday night matchup with Wright State at 6 p.m. CT.