Kinas Double-Double Helps Women’s Basketball in Rhode Island Loss

Loyola women’s basketball faced a tough University of Rhode Island team Jan. 3, picking up a 70-58 loss, despite the Ramblers keeping it close for the majority of the game. Second-year forward Brooklyn Vaughn and Rhode Island’s fourth-year guard Ines Debroise both led their teams with 17 points in the matchup. 

Second-year guard Alexa Kinas recorded her first career double-double, dropping 14 points and picking up 10 rebounds. 

Head coach Allison Guth said she was most disappointed with the amount of turnovers during the game, despite the work the team has put into the aspect. The Ramblers had 15 turnovers to Rhode Island’s 14, and the Rams converted 20 points from those turnovers. 

“You can’t turn the ball over 15 times and have Rhode Island — a team of such stature with scoring capabilities everywhere — score 20 points off those turnovers and expect to win the basketball game,” Guth said. 

After winning the tip-off, the Ramblers scored the first points of the game with a 3-pointer from Kinas. Vaughn scored her first points of the night on the next Loyola possession with a layup to take an early 5-0 lead. 

Third-year Rams guard Sophia Vital got Rhode Island on the board with two 3-pointers, taking the lead over the Ramblers. Debroise kept the Rhode Island run going with a three-point play and a layup for an 11-5 advantage. 

After a brief scoring drought, third-year guard Audrey Deptula and Rhode Island’s fourth-year guard Brooklyn Gray traded threes to keep the Loyola deficit at six. Kinas added two more at the line, and a Vaughn layup made it a two-point game, ending the first quarter with the Rams ahead 14-12. 

The Rams started the second quarter on a 4-0 run, credited to Debroise and second-year center Albina Syla. The Ramblers then went on a run of their own, with layups credited to Vaughn, graduate guard Alexus Mobley and Kinas to tie the game at 18. 

Syla hit a layup and Gray added a free throw to break the tie as Mobley tied it again at 21 with a 3-pointer. Debroise countered with a three of her own before third-year guard Rosalie Mercille brought it to a one-point game with a layup.

Syla countered with a layup, and Kinas added a jumper. Rhode Island’s fourth-year forward Palmire Mbu made a layup of her own before Syla stole the Loyola possession and found first-year guard Vanessa Harris for a layup, ending the first half with the Rams ahead 30-25. 

Fourth-year guard Kira Chivers started the third quarter with a layup, which Mbu answered with one of her own. Syla kept the Rams ahead with a jumper — following a Mbu steal — and Mobely countered with a layup for a 34-29 game. 

Chivers stole a Rhode Island possession and found Mobley with a layup. Kinas added a jumper to make it a one-point game again, but Syla responded with a field goal for a three-point game. 

Harris added two at the line before driving in a layup. Mobley countered with one at the line, and Kinas hit a jumper, followed by a jumper from Harris. 

Offensive passing from Mercille and Kinas to Mobley got her open for another layup. Gray countered with a jumper as Vaughn hit a turnaround jumper, maintaining a four-point gap between the teams. 

Harris ended the third quarter with a 3-pointer as the Rams took a 47-40 lead going into the last 10 minutes of play. 

Kinas opened the quarter with one made at the line, followed by two from Gray — who was fouled on a 3-pointer attempt by Vaughn. Vaughn then redeemed herself with two consecutive layups, with a successful trip from Syla smushed between. 

Mbu completed a three-point play and Mobley drove in a layup. A three-second violation on Syla gave the Ramblers possession, but a Kinas travel gave the ball back to the Rams. Syla took the opportunity for a jumper, but three at the line from Deptula kept the Ramblers close at 56-50. 

Syla drove in another layup, and Mobley matched with a jumper to keep the six-point gap. Gray made two at the line while first-year guard and forward Alex-Anne Bessette made one at the line — her only point of the game. 

A single free throw from Vital set up Mobley for a coast-to-coast layup, after which Loyola called a timeout, down 61-55 with under two minutes to play. 

Bessette’s stolen possession was then stolen by Harris, as Kinas fouled Debroise, making both at the line. A miss from Deptula gave Rhode Island possession again, and Debroise was fouled again — this time by Chivers — and made both. Vaughn attempted to keep the Ramblers in the game after being fouled, but only made one on her trip to the line. 

After a Rhode Island timeout, Debroise made another at the line. Gray picked up another steal from Deptula and found Mbu for a layup, now taking a 12-point lead over the Ramblers. 

Vaughn and Debroise traded layups before a travel turnover from Vaughn gave the Rams the ball again. The Rams ran out the clock with their final possession, ending the game 70-58 in favor of Rhode Island. 

Despite the loss, Guth said she remains proud of the team and the work they’ve put in on the court. 

“There’s so much I’m proud about,” Guth said. “We came in here wanting to limit [Gray], [Mbu] and Harris with their top three scoring threats. I thought we did a tremendous job with that, especially in the first half with some of our matchup zone. I really liked how we were getting stops.”

The Ramblers continue their conference slate on the road against the University of Dayton Jan. 7. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.