Kinas’ Career-High Helps Women’s Basketball Beat Bonnies on the Road

Loyola women’s basketball broke their three-game losing skid in a 58-55 road win at St. Bonaventure University Feb. 21. Second-year guard Alexa Kinas posted a career and game-high 21 points while graduate Bonnie’s guard Laycee Drake led her team with 18 points.

Fourth-year guard Kira Chivers and graduate guard Alexus Mobley got the Ramblers off to a fast start with back-to-back threes to open the game. Fourth-year forward Gabby Robinson put the Bonnies on the board with a layup.

Mobley launched another Rambler rally with a jumper, followed by Kinas’ first basket and a three from third-year guard Rosalie Mercille for a 13-2 lead.

Third-year Bonnie forward Brillana Boyd ended the over three minute St. Bonaventure drought with a three-point play. Mercille followed with a foul shot as Boyd tacked on another two with a layup. Chivers sank a jump shot, and Mercille made another foul shot before Drake was fouled on a jumper and finished the quarter with an and-one for a 17-10 Loyola lead.

Boyd’s second three-point play opened the second quarter for St. Bonaventure. Both sides stayed ice cold from the field as Loyola didn’t score for the first four and a half minutes of the quarter, and the Bonnies only mustered a solo free throw during the time. 

A Mercille jumper broke the ice for Loyola, countered by a 3-pointer from St. Bonaventure’s second-year guard Mackenzie Pettinelli, being fouled on the make and sinking the ensuing foul shot. Consecutive free throws from Drake put St. Bonaventure in front for the first time at 20-19.

Drake’s basket was the Bonnies’ last of the quarter with almost three and a half minutes left. Kinas took advantage of six of the last eight points of the half, on two layups and two free throws, only broken up by a lay-in from first-year guard and forward Alex-Anne Bessette before Loyola entered the half up 27-20.

Neither team scored in the first minute of the third quarter before second-year forward Brooklyn Vaughn sank a layup. Drake hit consecutive jumpers to cut into the Ramblers’ lead. Kinas and Robinon traded jumpers to keep the game close at 31-26.

Two foul shots from Drake and one from Robinson were offset by a jumper from Vaughn. First-year guard Elyse MacDonough brought St. Bonaventure within two on a layup before two foul shots from Bessette kept the Ramblers at bay. 

Robinson and Boyd tied the game with back-to-back layups before a singular Mobley free throw put Loyola back in front with two minutes left for their final basket of the quarter. Drake ended the quarter strong for the Bonnies on a three and a jumper to hold a 40-36 advantage entering the fourth quarter. 

Neither squad could score to start the first two and a half minutes of the fourth before Mercille made a layup. Kinas connected on a fast break lay-in and drew a foul, but missed her and-one chance for the lead.

MacDonough and Drake combined for five straight for the Bonnies on a three-point play and jumper. Bessette sank a foul shot, and Mobley made a 3-pointer to cut the St. Bonaventure lead to one. Second-year Bonnie guard Olivia DiFranco followed by making two foul shots, offset by two from Kinas. 

A steal by Mobley led to a fastbreak foul by Drake to send Kinas to the line for another two to put Loyola in front. Boyd made a layup to take the lead met by a layup from Kinas to give Loyola a 50-49 lead they wouldn’t lose. 

Mobley followed with back-to-back scores on a layup and jumper. MacDonough made a three and the Bonnies fouled Kinas, sending her to the line for another successful trip. A Pettinelli miss gave Kinas another foul shot for a five point lead with 38 seconds left.

Mercille fouled Pettinelli on a three, but she only converted on one of the three attempts. Mobley missed a layup, and Boyd sank two free throws for the final two points for the Bonnies. Chivers closed out the game with one more foul shot as Drake’s game tying attempt missed with seven seconds left. Mobley’s two missed free throws ended the game in a 58-55 Rambler win.

Head coach Allison Guth spoke on Loyola’s struggles with trading off good and bad quarters during the game.

“I loved how we started the game,” Guth said. “We scored 17 points, held them to 10 and were locked in defensively. Then the script flipped in the second quarter. We didn’t score for about six minutes and ended up tied at 10-10 in the period, so we still carried a lead into halftime. But the third quarter belonged to St. Bonaventure. That hasn’t typically been who we are this season.”

Loyola returns home for their final game at Gentile Arena this season, Feb. 25, where they will face the University of Dayton in the Pink Game for Breast Cancer Awareness. The Ramblers will look to back up their 71-68 road win over the Flyers Jan. 7. Tip off will be at 6 p.m. and streaming will be available on ESPN+.