Poor Shooting Stifles Women’s Basketball in Home Finale 67-58

Loyola women’s basketball closed out their home finale with a 67-58 loss to the University of Dayton Feb. 25 on Pink Day, a game supporting Breast Cancer Awareness. Graduate guard Alexus Mobley led Loyola with 22 points while the Flyers’ second-year forward and center Molly O’Riordan posted 15 points and 10 rebounds, with 11 points coming in the fourth quarter.

After the game, head coach Allison Guth spoke on the importance of playing for “something bigger.”

“Unforutnately, so many people are affected by breast cancer,” Guth said. “Us drawing awareness to it, we have people in this program right now, that touch our program as support staff that are survivors of it, and have just recently gone through their battle.”

After winning the opening tip, the Flyers got off to a fast start with second-year guard Olivia Leung splashing an open three. First-year guard and forward Alex-Anne Bessette responded with a deep 3-pointer of her own to tie the game. 

The Rambler defense locked in after Dayton’s opening possession, forcing four straight Flyer turnovers. The offense couldn’t capitalize, with two turnovers and five misses before Mobley sank a jumper from the top of the key. 

Dayton finally found their way back on the board with five minutes to go in the quarter off a fastbreak layup from Leung. Bessette buried another three to put Loyola back in front before blocking a Flyer shot to force a jump ball. The Flyers retained the ball, with third-year center Fatima Ibrahim being sent to the line on a Bessette foul, sinking both.

Second-year forward Brooklyn Vaughn brought the lead back to three on a drive on what proved to be Loyola’s last basket of that quarter with three and a half minutes to play. Second-year guard Alexa Kinas blocked a Dayton shot the next possession, but graduate guard Maliyah Johnson scored on the putback to make it 10-9.

The Ramblers got beat on the glass as Ibrahim scored another second-chance lay-in. A lazy pass led to an Ibrahim steal, but Bessette blocked the fastbreak layup. Despite the block, Dayton grabbed the offensive rebound and Leung hit a floater. Both sides turned the ball over once more as Dayton missed the final shot of the quarter with a 13-10 lead. 

Dayton flew further in front with a three by fourth-year guard Nayo Lear. Fourth-year guard Kira Chivers attempted to match with a 3-pointer of her own that bounced off the front iron. Third-year guard and forward Ajok Madol swished another three for the Flyers as Guth called a timeout to attempt to slow the 12-0 Dayton run. 

Mobley missed a three out of the timeout as Lear added two on a layup. The Ramblers finally found themselves a basket with a Mobley layup. A Kinas steal led to Bessette driving downcourt, missing a fastbreak layup as Leung grabbed the miss and threw it crosscourt to a wide open O’Riordan for two and a 23-12 lead. 

Kinas drew a foul the following possession, sinking one as Kinas followed up the score by drawing a charge on Madol. Bessette brought Loyola back within eight on a floater before Madol drew a foul, sinking both shots. Mobley matched with a layup as Ibrahim finished a post move on Chivers the following possession. 

Vaughn added two with a fading post hook off the glass, and a steal by third-year guard Rosalie Mercille led to a three-point play for Mobley and a five-point game. A Mobley steal led to her driving the ball downhill and drawing a foul, putting the Ramblers in the bonus as she sank both shots for a 27-24 game.

Consecutive misses by Dayton led to Vaughn drawing a foul on a second-chance layup, missing the first and making the second at the stripe. Loyola’s full court press began reaping results as a Vaughn steal led to a layup that rolled around the rim from second-year guard Kendall Hendrix to tie at 27. 

The tie was short-lived as Leung put an end to the Rambler 10-0 run and Dayton ahead on a quick lay-in, met by Vaughn drawing another foul inside the paint, making one. Kinas stole the ball away as the full court press continued, taking it all the way for a score and the lead.

An offensive foul gave Loyola the ball with 33 seconds left, taking too much time as Chivers’ fadeaway at the shot clock buzzer airballed. Dayton didn’t get a shot off to end the half as Loyola propelled themselves in front 30-29. 

Leung started the third quarter with a floater and foul, making the and-one. O’Riordan followed with a layup before Chivers responded with a corner three to bring the Flyers lead down to one. A Dayton turnover led to Kinas being left open in the corner, knocking down the 3-pointer for the 36-34 lead.

Madol drew a foul the following Flyer possession, drawing disapproval from Guth. Madol missed both and Loyola followed with a turnover. An airball led to Bessette grabbing the miss and throwing it upcourt to Chivers, who found Mobley open for a three. Lear responded with a three of her own, and Mobley tacked on two more with a layup.

Lear attacked Mobley on the defensive end, driving past her for an easy two. Kinas missed an open three the next possession, but Chivers stole the offensive board, finding Kinas on the cut for two. Graduate Dayton guard Nicole Stephens met it with a three to make it 43-42, in favor of (which team?).

No foul being called on a Bessette drive drew a look of confusion from Guth, but Dayton couldn’t take advantage of Loyola’s slow transition defense with Ibrahim dropping the fastbreak pass out of bounds. A blocking foul called on Chivers yet again drew anger from the Rambler bench, but Loyola’s defense held the Flyers scoreless. 

Neither team could buy a basket for the next three minutes until fourth-year Flyer guard Shantavia Dawkins made a floater for the lead. Despite three shot attempts on their next possession, Loyola couldn’t find any points as Ibrahim closed the quarter on a make as Dayton held the 46-43 advantage.

Loyola cracked their six minute cold streak in the fourth with Bessette making an acrobatic catch before finding Chivers open for a three to tie. Stephens sank a pullup jumper before Mobley drew a foul on Madol, tying the game at 48 after making both. 

O’Riordan made a second-chance layup over Vaughn before offensive rebounds from Vaughn, Chivers and Kinas led to a fourth-chance layup from Mobley. Dayton added two at the line off O’Riordan free throws as Vaughn tacked on two with a second-chance layup. O’Riordan’s hot stretch continued with a jumper over Bessette for the 54-52 lead.

A fight for the ball broke out the next Rambler possession after an O’Riordan block. Dayton won the possession after head coach Tamika Williams-Jeter was ruled to have called a timeout instead of a jump ball, irking Guth once more. 

Leung was sent to the line off a foul from second-year forward Roisin Grandberry, making one. Kinas missed a three, followed by a Lear layup for a five point advantage. A foul on Chivers put Dayton in the bonus with two-and-a-half to play, where O’Riordan made one. 

Stephens sank a layup as Loyola found themselves trailing by eight with two minutes left. A Vaughn miss gave Dayton the ball where O’Riordan drew a foul despite Guth wanting a travel called on the play. She sank both shots for a 62-52 lead with 70 seconds to play. 

Mobley airballed a three and Dayton took a timeout to advance the ball up the floor. Chivers was forced to foul Stephens who made one. Kinas connected on a turnaround jumper that cut it to nine with 44 seconds left.

Loyola tipped the inbound pass, but Stephens gathered the ball and finished a layup inside. Hendrix matched with one of her own as Dayton called timeout once more to move the ball up. Bessette fouled O’Riordan with 32 seconds left where she sank both. Bessette missed a turnaround jumper but a full court press led to Mobley catching an errant pass and finishing inside.

Mobley intercepted another Flyer pass, but her shot was blocked in the paint by O’Riordan as Dayton ran out the clock on a 67-58 win.

Guth spoke on what she thought led to the Ramblers fourth loss in their last five games.

“I thought we did a good job turning them over,” Guth said. “But we could not throw the ball into Michigan Ocean. We shot it so poorly tonight. We had 72 shots to their 53, and just could not convert. We have gotta be better, I expect more from us I know our team expects more.”

Loyola retakes the court for their regular season final Feb. 28, on the road at La Salle University, looking to complete a season sweep over the Explorers after a 64-60 home win Jan. 21. Tip off will be at 12 p.m. and streaming will be available on ESPN+