Women’s Basketball Wins Red Line Rivalry 61-49

Loyola women’s basketball picked up their second win against DePaul University Nov. 26. Second-year guard Alexa Kinas and first-year guard and forward Alex-Anne Bessette tied for a game high 16 points while DePaul’s third-year guard Kate Novik and graduate forward Meg Newman clocked a Blue Demon high of nine. 

The Ramblers’ last win against DePaul was in 2015, where they defeated the Blue Demons 88-75. Head coach Allison Guth — after two years of coaching under former DePaul head coach Doug Bruno — said he inspired the way she coaches the game today. 

“He was who I learned from,” Guth said. “I take so much of what we do because of him. When you come into a game like this game, I care about honoring him and honoring the way we play this game because, stylistically of who we want to be, because of what he instilled in me.” 

Novik started the game with a layup, which Bessette attempted to match but was called on an offensive foul on her way to the basket. Bessette tied the game on the next Loyola possession with a driving layup. 

Third-year Blue Demon guard Aizhanique Mayo took the lead back for DePaul with a three, which were the last DePaul points of the first quarter. 

To close it out, second-year forward Brooklyn Vaughn hit a layup and Kinas stole the DePaul possession for an easy lay-in. On a fast break, Vaughn found Bessette, whose layup increased Loyola’s lead to 8-5. 

Vaughn made two free throws on two separate trips before second-year forward Roisin Grandberry made a layup. Second-year guard Kendall Hendrix took a successful trip to the line and Kinas recorded another steal, giving her a clear path for an open layup to end the quarter 16-5 in Loyola’s favor. 

DePaul’s redshirt first-year guard Alayna West opened scoring in the second quarter with a three and completed the and-one after being fouled by fourth-year guard Kira Chivers. Second-year Blue Demon guard Natiah Nelson hit a layup, which Vaughn matched with one of her own. 

Graduate Blue Demon forward Michelle Ojo picked up a flagrant offensive foul while reaching for a rebound, allowing Kinas to add two more to the board at the line. Vaughn and DePaul’s redshirt first-year Ally Timm traded jumpers before Bessette hit a layup with just over six minutes remaining in the quarter. 

The Blue Demons went on an unanswered run to end the half, outscoring the Ramblers 10-0. Nelson completed a layup, and Timms hit a three. Ojo sent in an open layup before making one at the line a minute and a half later. Timm closed out the second quarter with a jumper, sending the teams into halftime with Loyola ahead 24-23. 

Vaughn got things cooking out of the break with a layup. Kinas stole the DePaul possession and found an open Bessette for a lay-in, prompting a DePaul timeout. 

Nelson’s jumper brought the Blue Demons within three, and Hendrix added one at the line to keep the Rambler advantage. Vaughn’s attempt at the line went silent, as both shots hit off the rim. 

West sent in a layup and Novik connected on a three, giving DePaul the lead. A three-point play from Vaughn gave the Ramblers the lead back, and Novik tied it at 32 with a layup. Third-year guard Audrey Deptula snagged an offensive rebound and putback off a missed Bessette three to take the Rambler lead as DePaul’s first-year guard Gina Davorija tied it again with a layup. 

Bessette made one at the line before Deptula splashed a 3-pointer, ending the third quarter in favor of the Ramblers 38-34. 

DePaul’s graduate forward Justis Odom scored the first points of the fourth quarter with two made at the line, which Bessette responded to with a 3-pointer. West and Kinas traded field goals, and Novik’s steal ended in an empty possession as Odom was called for a travel. 

Bessette hit a euro step layup, erupting the Rambler bench, and Novik made a layup on the following possession. Newman completed a three-point play, closing in on the Loyola 45-43 lead. 

Vaughn kept the Ramblers in action with a layup, and two misses at the line from Nelson kept Loyola ahead. Newman added another layup before a Kinas three-point play with four and a half minutes remaining. 

Newman added a jumper and Kinas made a third-chance layup after stealing Nelson’s defensive rebound. Bessette recorded a steal of her own and took it down the court for an open layup, prompting a DePaul timeout. 

Newman and redshirt third-year Clara Djoko traded field goals before Djoko was fouled out of the game. DePaul started fouling intentionally with the first victim being Kinas, who made one. 

After a plethora of misses, Grandberry snagged a defensive rebound, and DePaul’s third-year guard Sumer Lee fouled Chivers, who made only one free throw. After Chivers picked up her own missed shot and reclaimed the Rambler possession, Loyola called a timeout. 

Another intentional foul on Kinas gave Loyola two more points while Chivers added one on her trip. Grandberry stepped out of bounds rebounding Deptula’s missed shot to give DePaul a scoreless possession and ending the game 61-49. 

Guth — who was dripping with water after the post game celebration in the locker room — said she couldn’t be more proud of the team and what they were able to do on the court after speaking with the women’s volleyball team, who just returned to Chicago after winning the Atlantic 10 (A10) championship. 

“We took things from [women’s volleyball] that I truly saw in this game today,” Guth said. “We may not be spiking it, but all the little things that they talked about, we did as a team. To see a team grinding it and get to the win column, especially after the way we started, I feel like Rambler Nation deserves us to be playing better and we did.” 

The Ramblers head on the road to face the University of Richmond Dec. 3 for their first look at A10 conference play. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.