Brown Claims 56-49 Win Over Women’s Basketball in Pre-Thanksgiving Match 

The Loyola women’s basketball team was welcomed back to Gentile Arena as they faced Brown University Nov. 22. 

Despite Loyola’s attempt to create a winning streak after defeating Bradley University in overtime Nov. 16, they left defeated as Brown went home victorious, battling through scoring droughts to achieve a 56-49 win.

Fourth-year forward Sitori Tanin and graduate guard Sam Galanopoulos led the team in scoring with 23 and 27 points, respectively. Galanopoulos received Atlantic 10 Player of the Week honors after her career-high scoring performance.

Brown’s fourth-year guard Kyla Jones started the game with a quick layup. Following intricate passes around the court, both teams had turnovers and missed three-point attempts. Galanopoulos ended the scoring drought with a swift three-pointer with under six minutes left in the quarter. 

A determined layup by Tanin extended the Rambler lead to five, but third-year Brown guard Isabella Mauricio responded from behind the arc bringing her team back within two.

Galanopoulos had a mid-court jumper, steal and assist which helped the Ramblers to a seven-point lead with just over three minutes left in the quarter. An attempted block by graduate forward Emma Nolan led second-year guard Grace Arnolie to the free-throw line and with two misses, Loyola was able to obtain offensive possession. 

As both teams struggled to find offensive success, Tanin knocked down a buzzer-beating three-pointer to expand Loyola’s lead to 14-5 at the end of the quarter. 

The beginning of the second quarter started with a failed shot attempt by Jones that led to a frantic few seconds of both teams battling on the floor for the rebound. Mauricio ultimately claimed the rebound, but a missed three-pointer by Jones gave Loyola an opportunity to extend their lead.

Thoranna Kika Hodge-Carr had the first points of the quarter with a layup following a drive to the basket. Tanin added another four points to her game total with a layup and jump shot. Arnolie was able to reduce the Rambler’s lead to 13 with seven minutes left with a layup fighting through graduate student guard Alyssa Fisher’s stubborn defense. 

Following numerous attempts by both teams offensively, second-year guard Mallory Ramage earned a trip to the free-throw line where she made one of two shots, increasing Loyola’s lead. 

Arnolie was able to end the Bears’ prolonged scoring drought with a shot behind the arc bringing them back within 13 points. A successful high shot at the basket by Brown’s fourth-year guard Grace Kirk and Arnolie’s steal and layup fast break allowed Brown to chip away at Loyola. 

A Brown turnover allowed Fisher to have an open layup as Loyola attempted to stop Brown’s 7-0 run. With under 20 seconds left in the first half, Brown’s second-year forward Ada Anamekwe took a trip to the line, adding one to the scoreboard. 

Fisher also had a last-second trip to the line, making both as she combatted Brown’s ten-point quarter. The first half ended with a run by Brown, but Loyola held their lead 27-15. 

Almost three and a half minutes into the third quarter, both teams failed to capitalize on multiple shot attempts. Galanopoulos got the first points of the quarter with a three-pointer.

Arnolie attempted to contest the strong defensive duo of Galanopoulos and Hodge-Carr by passing to Jones who had a clear drive to the basket. 

After both teams experienced another minute-long scoring drought, Arnolie was able to spot holes in Loyola’s defense with a clean pass to Anamekwe for a layup, reducing Loyola’s lead to 11.

Following a successful trip to the line from Alyssa Moreland, Loyola attempted to add points to the board through a promising three-point attempt by Emma Nolan that ultimately rocketed off the backboard.

Brown’s offensive intensity increased with another two-point shot from Jones. A steal by Moreland assisted Arnolie with a drive to the basket, decreasing Loyola’s lead to one possession. An offensive foul by Tanin in the last 50 seconds of the quarter earned the Ramblers their 18th turnover. The Bears cut the Ramblers’ lead to one point with another Anamekwe layup. 

A last-second foul brought Jones to the free throw line with the opportunity for the Bears to take the lead and extend their 14-0 run. Jones made two spotless shots that got the Bears a 31-30 lead. 

As the Ramblers attempted to reclaim the lead, Brown’s pressuring defense forced a shot clock violation from the Ramblers. Another two-pointer by Jones extended the Bears’ lead by five.

Despite Brown’s full-court pressure, Galanopolus kept Loyola in it with another three-pointer as the score reached 35-33 in Brown’s favor. Arnolie responded immediately with another three-pointer, adding to her final total of 19 points in the game.

Loyola got back within one possession through a layup by graduate forward Sophia Nolan, who spotted a break in Brown’s defense. A travel by Jones granted Loyola the opportunity to tie the game, but a misfire behind the arc by Sophia Nolan kept the Ramblers trailing by three.

A steal by Fisher from Arnolie — Brown’s second top scorer — allowed the Ramblers to tie the game at 38 through Fisher’s layup and trip to the free-throw line. Arnolie immediately came back with a three.

After Sophia Nolan brought Loyola within two, she continued with defensive strength on the opposite side of the court as she blocked a shot by Anamekwe. A Tanin foul gave Anamekwe a visit to the line where she made both free throws.

Sophia Nolan got another steal and assisted Galanopoulos’ drive to the basket which resulted in an and-one, making it 42-41.

With under three minutes left, Arnolie struggled behind the arc as Hodge-Carr continued her pressuring defense.

Brown extended their lead 50-44 after Moreland and Jones both reached the free-throw line. 

On the other side of the court, Tanin had free-throw attempts that were followed by an Arnolie layup. Fisher then added her first three-pointer of the game, bringing the Ramblers back within one possession with 30 seconds left on the clock.

Last-second fouls gave Jones and Arnolie trips to the line which iced the game as the Bears headed home with a pre-Thanksgiving win 56-49. 

Head coach Allison Guth said she was disappointed with the game as the team only collected 12 assists while surrendering 27 turnovers. Guth said taking better care of the ball will be a focus moving forward in practice. 

“Until we figure out how to take care of the ball and value possessions, that’s going to be a big thing that we’re working on back in the lab,” said Guth.

Guth also highlighted the sisterhood of the team and said the team has extremely talented coaches and players who have the potential to accomplish something special despite being in the infancy of the season.

The Ramblers can next be seen Nov. 29 in Evanston playing Northwestern University. The game can be streamed on the B10+ network.

Featured image by Holden Green | The Phoenix