Women’s Basketball Runs the Purple Line in 69-68 Win over Northwestern

Loyola women’s basketball recaptured their rivalry over Northwestern University in a tight-fought 69-68 win. Head coach Allison Guth moved to 2-1 against Northwestern at Loyola, and the Ramblers advanced to 2-10 all-time in the series. 

First-year guard and forward Alex-Anne Bessette scored 22 points for Loyola, while Northwestern second-year forward Tayla Thomas supplied a game high 30 points along with 11 rebounds.

Fourth-year Wildcat forward Grace Sullivan started the game with a fastbreak jumper off a block from graduate guard Tate Lash. Second-year forward Brooklyn Vaugh matched with a layup of her own.

Neither side could buy a bucket for the next two minutes until Vaughn came through with another tip-in, and Bessette added a layup on the following possession. Thomas followed with her first points of the game on a layup to make it 6-4 in favor of the Ramblers.

Bessette and Vaughn traded jumpers with Thomas and Sullivan, before Sullivan knocked two down at the line to tie it at 10. Vaughn swapped layups with graduate forward DaiJa Turner before third-year guard Rosalie Mercille completed a three-point play, followed by a floater from graduate guard Alexus Mobley.

Thomas bounced back for Northwestern with two layups, matched by a Bessette 3-pointer to end the quarter with a 20-16 Loyola lead.

Lash and Mercille opened the second quarter with dueling 3-pointers. Bessette added on a layup, and second-year forward Roisin Grandberry cashed in on a fastbreak three to make it 28-19 Ramblers.

Northwestern’s second-year guard Xamiya Walton broke the drought with a layup and fourth-year Wildcat guard Caroline Lau knocked in a free throw to make it a six-point game. Bessette blasted back immediately with a 3-pointer, but Lash and Thomas continued to cut into the lead with layups. 

Another two from Bessette was met by two free throws from Thomas as second-year guard Alexa Kinas and Walton traded paint jumpers. Three foul shots over two separate trips from Bessette in the final two and a half minutes of the half brought the lead to eight, but Lash connected on another three to end the half with Loyola at the advantage 38-33. 

A Mobley foul led to Lau scoring the first point of the second half at the line for Northwestern. Vaughn and Bessette added lay-ins, countered by Thomas hitting a layup and two foul shots. Thomas continued to take over the offense for Northwestern with two straight layups, met by a layup and tip-in from Vaughn.

Both sides went cold from the field with the only bucket over the next four minutes coming on a Mercille 3-pointer. First-year Angelina Hodgens got the Wildcats offense back on the board with a layup as Loyola’s offense woke up with a Vaughn free throw and a Mercille steal and score. Kinas finished a drive and was matched by another two at the stripe from Taylor. With three seconds left in the quarter, Kinas hit a jumper as Loyola entered the fourth with a 56-46 lead.

A Kinas foul gave Lau the first two points of the fourth quarter before she added a layup after a Lash steal off Bessette. Bessette made up for her turnover with a layup, and Vaughn added two more to push the lead to 60-53.

Northwestern took the lead on an 8-0 run as Lau kept her hot hand with a 3-pointer, and Thomas and Walton added layups. Thomas then tacked on another foul shot. Bessette tied the game at 61 with a foul shot, but a three-point play from Taylor gave the Wildcats the advantage.

Redshirt third-year Clara Djoko scored a tip-in, followed by a Vaughn lay-in to retake the lead. Lash battled with a floater, and Kinas struck back with a quick jumper to give Loyola a 67-66 lead with two minutes left.

Two Loyola misses and a Northwestern turnover and a miss led to Thomas scoring the go-ahead basket with 46 seconds left on a tip-in. 

With 21 seconds left, Djoko scored a one-handed bank shot to take a 69-68 lead. After a Wildcat timeout, Northwestern got one more shot off from an open corner three for second-year guard Claire Keswick, which clanged off the front rim to seal the Rambler win.

Head coach Allison Guth spoke on how impressed she was with the team’s “resilience and effort” in their win without starting fourth-year guard Kira Chivers due to injury.

“We were without our starting point guard, and Kinas stepped up to lead us, along with Bessette at the point,” Guth said. “We took care of the ball with 16 assists, and [Bessette] was aggressive offensively all night. [Vaughn’s] double-double was huge, and [Djoko] made the biggest play with the late basket. It’s a big win, and now we have to keep building.”

Loyola heads back home next to face Austin Peay State University Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. Streaming will be available on ESPN+.