Mobley Season-High 27 Keeps Women’s Basketball Dancing to Super 16

Loyola women’s basketball upset Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) in a 62-56 win March 23. Graduate guard Alexus Mobley posted a season-high 27 points with five rebounds, while the Eagles saw second-year forward Eve Alexander add 16. The win marks Loyola’s first appearance in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) Super 16.

The Ramblers already faced a hurdle early, having to face FGCU without leading scorer and Atlantic 10 (A10) All-Rookie team member, first-year guard and forward Alex-Anne Bessette. 

Bessette suffered an eye injury after being kicked in the face during the fourth quarter of their win over Norfolk State University. The injury is expected to be day-to-day, with the possibility of Bessette returning for the next round.

After winning the opening tip, FGCU struck quickly with second-year guard Airah Lavy connecting on a 3-pointer. After a Rambler miss,fifth-year forward Nay Staton sank a layup. Third-year guard Rosalie Mercille buried a three to get Loyola on the board. 

The Eagles expanded upon their lead with second-year forward Jalei Pillow making a free throw before a full-court press forced a bad pass to second-year guard Sinai Douglas who caught the ball under the basket before throwing it in. Head coach Allison Guth immediately called a timeout, storming furiously out to her team after trailing 8-3 only two and a half minutes in.

The timeout worked for the Ramblers, as Loyola launched a 9-0 run featuring a layup by redshirt third-year Clara Djoko, and seven straight from Mobley, who had consecutive steals, knocking down a layup and jumper before she scored on a three-point play.  

FGCU finally got back on the board after being shut out for four and a half minutes, with Douglas hitting one of two at the line. Mercille struck with another three before graduate Eagles forward Anna Mortag matched with a second-chance layup. 

Alexander made a single free throw, met immediately by two free throws from first-year forward Nevaeh Dickman. Mercille swished her third three of the quarter before Alexander ended the first with a lay-in as Loyola led 20-14.

Lavy started the second with a three before Mobley’s attempt to match bounced out of bounds off the top of the backboard. Loyola’s offense went cold as the Eagles battled their way back in front with a pair of layups from Douglas and Alexander, with Alexander making an and-one.

Djoko finally got the Ramblers back on the board with a layup before Mobley came away with her third steal and score of the half after jumping a pass from Mortag. Alexander immediately put the Eagles on top again with a three-point play as they led 25-24. 

Consecutive fast break turnovers on both sides kept it close before Lavy buried a 3-pointer. Second-year guard Alexa Kinas cut the deficit down to two with a layup before Mobley drew a foul on a drive, making one of two to cut the Eagles advantage to one.

Douglas followed with a single foul shot before second-year forward Brooklyn Vaughn tied the game at 29 with a turnaround jumper. Vaughn was then called for an offensive foul with eight seconds left in the half, but FGCU didn’t get a shot off before the buzzer as both teams entered the half tied at 29.

Mobley moved Loyola in front to start the second half with a three-point play. Douglas countered with a floater before Mobley maintained the hot hand with a jumper. Consecutive missed threes for Loyola allowed Douglas to make a paint jumper to cut the lead to one. Another foul drawn by Mobley led to two at the stripe.

A travel call on Mobley confused both Guth and Mobley, as the Eagles took advantage of the confusion with a Mortag lay-in. Another Mobley free throw was matched by a jumper from Alexander to tie at 37. Alexander followed by drawing a foul on the following FGCU possession, sinking one.

Mercille drew a foul on a drive, sinking one to tie again at 38 before she drilled a deep three for the advantage. Mortag matched immediately for the Eagles, knocking down a 3-pointer of her own to tie. Another foul sent Mobley to the line, knocking down both for a 43-41 lead. 

Redshirt fourth-year Eagles guard Cerina Rolle hit one free throw, missing the second as Mortag grabbed the rebound, kicked it out to Rolle who found Alexander inside for a layup and the lead. Consecutive missed threes gave Loyola the last shot of the quarter, but Mercille and Vaugh both bricked layups to enter the fourth down 44-43. 

Mobley maintained her offensive prowess to start the fourth, sinking a pull-up jump shot. Following a FGCU miss, Mercille buried a corner three for her fifth of the game and a four-point lead. Dickman expanded the lead to six with two free throws. FGCU graduate forward Maca Retamales swished a wide-open three to end the 7-0 Rambler run and bring it back to a one-possession game.

Retamales made it six straight, hitting a fading jumper and making the and-one to tie at 50. Mobley made sure the tie didn’t stand, making two foul shots the next possession. Douglas and Vaughn traded layups as Loyola stayed ahead with less than five minutes to play.

A missed three from fourth-year guard Kira Chivers was saved by an offensive rebound and putback by Kinas. Alexander followed with a layup, and Mobley matched with a jumper. A layup from Rolle brought Loyola’s lead down to 58-56. A travel on Mobley brought the game to a media timeout with just over two minutes to play. 

Chivers drew a jump ball to give the ball back to Loyola before she sank a corner three for her first points of the game. An offensive foul on Alexander gave the ball back to the Ramblers, where Mobley drew a foul and sank one at the line to make it 62-56 with 27.4 seconds left as FGCU used a timeout.

Chivers tipped the Eagles inbound, racing after the ball along Douglas, with Douglas knocking the ball out of bounds with 23 seconds left. Rolle stole the ball away from Mobley, using their final timeout to move the ball up. 

FGCU threw up three shots, none finding the bottom of the basket as the clock ran out, with the Ramblers winning 62-56 to move on to the Super 16 for the first time in program history.

Guth spoke post game on the importance of big performances from Mobley and Mercille, who contributed 27 and 16 points.

“Really proud of our team — the effort, grit and tempo tonight, led by Mobley,” Guth said. “Mercille was incredible from beyond the arc, and it was great to see her play with that confidence.”

In the Super 16, Loyola will face a familiar foe in fellow A10 member George Washington University. Loyola defeated the Revolutionaries in their only game against them this season in a 53-48 road win. 

Loyola will head to the nation’s capital to take on George Washington March 27 at 5 p.m., streaming will be available on ESPN+.