Hawks Prey on Women’s Basketball, Force 20 Turnovers in 70-67 Loss

Loyola women’s basketball took on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) following back-to-back losses. The Ramblers’ losing streak hit three as they fell 70-67, with their second-half comeback falling short. 

Despite the loss, second-year forward Brooklyn Vaughn had a career day, adding 22 points and 10 rebounds, both career highs and beating her new high of seven rebounds in the loss versus the University of Connecticut. The Hawks were led by fourth-year guard and forward Brianna Barnes with 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.

After the game, head coach Allison Guth spoke on the mentality change she’s seen from Vaughn after consecutive games setting career highs in rebounds.

“I know that I was effective in some areas, I am taking full ownership that I didn’t defend well enough and I didn’t rebound well enough today,” Guth recalled Vaughn telling her after the game against the University of Connecticut Nov. 12. 

“That’s a kid who comes away from a game like this that ends up being one of her more historic games,” Guth continued. “When you have leadership like that, it gives you hope as a coach.”

After losing the opening tip, fourth-year guard Kira Chivers made a corner three. Fourth-year forward DK Turner countered with a post move for UMES’ first bucket. After an errant pass from first-year guard and forward Alex-Anne Bessette, the Hawks took the lead on an easy lay-in from fourth-year forward Lainey Allen. 

Barnes went coast-to-coast following a steal and made the bucket. Another Rambler miss led to two at the line from Turner as Loyola found themselves in an 8-3 hole four minutes in. Vaughn cut into the deficit with a turnaround floater. 

Allen made a second-chance layup to put the Hawks up 10-5. Barnes connected on a quick 3-pointer, which was followed by a fast-break layup for fourth-year guard Ashanti Lynch. The Hawks’ full-court press kept creating issues for the Ramblers as they were kept off the board for nearly four minutes. 

Barnes was fouled on a make by third-year guard Rosalie Mercille but missed her chance at a three-point play. Mercille matched it with a baseline layup to cut into the lead, and Vaughn followed with a layup on the next possession. Redshirt third-year forward Djoko made a second-chance layup to cut the UMES lead to 19-11.

Hawks second-year guard Kalise Hill made a turnaround jumper in the paint, and Barnes added one at the line. Third-year guard Audrey Deptula grabbed the rebound and threw the ball up to Vaughn, who found Kinas for a layup at the buzzer to end the quarter with Loyola down 22-13.

The second quarter opened with a poor pass from Deptula, resulting in a Lynch bucket. Deptula made up for it a minute later with a steal which led to a Mercille three-point play, cutting the UMES lead to 24-16. Barnes followed with a jumper before Kinas sank one of her own.

Turner expanded the UMES lead with a second-chance layup but missed the following free throw. Graduate guard Dayshawna Carter landed a floater for UMES before connecting on another shot, and second-year forward Candela Sabater Sánchez intercepted a pass and finished her own fastbreak to make it 34-18 Hawks. 

A reach-in foul on Sabater Sánchez put Loyola in the bonus, where Mercille connected on both for their first points in nearly five minutes. Chivers built the momentum as she found first-year Nevaeh Dickman on a layup. 

Sabater Sánchez ended the short run with a deep three that put the lead back up to 15. Hill made one at the line, ending the half with Loyola trailing 38-22.

Vaughn opened up the second half fast with a fadeaway jumper, and Mercille made both at the line. Allen responded for the Hawks, making a contested lay-in and drawing a foul on Chivers, who made the and-one.

Vaughn fought back for the Ramblers by grabbing her own miss and putting in a second-chance layup. After Lynch countered with a layup, Vaughn came back down the floor and made another contested shot which forced a UMES timeout with Loyola down 43-30.

A block by second-year forward Roisin Grandberry was rebounded by UMES, where Carter elbowed Deptula in the face. Grandberry shoved a Hawks player, causing her to receive a double technical foul which ejected her from the game. Carter received a single technical for her elbow.

Dickman was sent to the line after Carter fouled her on a shot, making both at the stripe. A blocking foul by Vaughn to the crowd’s dismay on the following possession put the Hawks in the bonus, but first-year forward Kaliya Perry only made one on the trip. 

Deptula matched the crowd’s energy the next possession, sinking an elbow three to cut it to 44-35. Vaughn was called for an over-the-back foul which Perry capitalized on. A charge on Chivers set up a Hawks three from Carter, but Deptula immediately countered with a 3-pointer of her own.

Barnes found the basket on a drive to put UMES back up 13. Lynch’s foul sent Mercille to the line, where she made both shots. A steal by Kinas led to a quick feed to Vaughn, who finished the fast break. A foul on Kinas sent Barnes to the line, where she went two-for-two.

Vaughn missed a contested layup on the next possession, but the miss was nabbed by Kinas, who threw a diving pass to Vaughn and made the second-chance bank shot. Vaughn was sent to the line the next possession on a foul by Turner and made both. 

A double dribble on UMES gave Loyola the ball with six seconds left in the quarter. Kinas caught the inbound and found Vaughn inside, who made a turnaround floater at the buzzer to make it 53-48.

Vaughn held the hot hand entering the fourth and opened it up with a fadeaway floater in the post to cut it to three. UMES matched with a Barnes layup, but Vaughn was found in the paint again on the next possession, connecting inside. Barnes laid in a close shot on the following possession and was fouled by Mercille, where she finished the and-one. 

UMES grabbed a rebound on a missed layup from Mercille, but it was stolen by Kinas, who found Deptula who swished a deep three. Kinas found the Hawks off guard, stealing the inbound and finishing around the cup to cut the score to 58-57 and forcing a UMES timeout.

Allen scored on a driving layup for the Hawks out of the timeout, but Mercille tied the game for the first time since the first quarter with a three. Allen gave UMES back the lead on a floater, but Chivers found her shot in the corner to give Loyola a 63-62 lead. 

Turner put the Hawks back in front with a second-chance layup before Chivers was fouled on a drive, sinking both at the line. Lynch made a floater to give the Hawks the lead back. Mercille and Deptula both missed on Loyola’s possession, and Perry was sent to the line, where she made both to make it 68-65 Hawks with just over a minute left.

Deptula hit a one-legged jumper to cut it to one as Loyola called a timeout. Kinas stole the ball from Hill before having it knocked out of bounds. Possession stayed with Loyola, but Mercille missed a layup which forced the Ramblers to foul. Hill was sent to the line where she missed the first and made the second.

Loyola called their final timeout as they set up their last possession with 22.6 left. Bessette missed a layup and Vaughn was blocked before Deptula tipped it out to Mercille. Her three attempt missed and rolled out of bounds with five seconds remaining. 

UMES called a timeout, and Mercille fouled Barnes on the inbound. Barnes made the first but missed the second as Vaugh grabbed the rebound, but missed a half-court heave at the buzzer as UMES won 70-67.

Despite the loss, Guth spoke on the offensive improvements made in the second half after trailing by 16 at halftime.

“What we really worked on in the second half was the understanding of where we were going to have baseline drives, where we were going to be aggressive off the drive, in order to create backdoor passes,” Guth said. “I think you saw that early in the offense with what we did, so I think that cleaned it up.”

Loyola remains at home as they look to end their three-game losing streak against Illinois State University Nov. 18 at 6 p.m.. Streaming will be available on ESPN+.