Feb. 12, 2013
Valparaiso Crusaders (8-13, 3-5 Horizon) at Loyola (8-13, 3-5)
Wednesday, Feb. 13 • 7 p.m.
Chicago, Ill. • Gentile Arena
Game Notes
Ramblings
• After a stirring win in the final second on Saturday against Cleveland State, Loyola looks to end its three-game homestand on a high note when it takes on Valparaiso
• The Ramblers are also looking to put together back-to-back wins for the first time in a month (Jan. 5-12)
• Troy Hambric knocked down two free throws with :00.1 left to give Loyola a 79-78 win over the Vikings on Saturday.
• Valparaiso owns an 18-4 lead in the series but Loyola earned its first-ever win at the ARC earlier this season and is looking for the season sweep
• Loyola welcomed Simone Law back to the lineup for Saturday's win over Cleveland State. Law, who missed LU's previous six games, scored a game-high 25 pts off the bench
• Loyola was picked fourth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll and Law was chosen to the Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team
Head Coach Eric Simpson
In his fourth season at the helm, Eric Simpson has a lot of weapons at his disposal as the Ramblers, with a talented group of veterans and newcomers, look to move up the Horizon League standings. Simpson put together the best season of any first-year Loyola coach in 2009-10, leading the Ramblers to a 15-15 mark with a senior-laden squad, and this year's team returns its top five scorers from last year. Simpson graduated from Northwestern in 1994 with a degree in history and brings a career record of 48-64 (.429) into tonight's game, including a 3-4 (.429) mark against Valparaiso
Loyola/Valparaiso - The Series
Tonight is the 23rd meeting between the two schools with Valparaiso holding a commanding 18-4 lead in the all-time series. However, the Ramblers have won two of the last three overall, most recently a 52-44 road win on Jan. 16, their first-ever win in 11 trips to the ARC. Valpo has taken eight of the 11 meetings here although Loyola cruised to an 86-56 win in this fixture last season, outscoring the Crusaders 48-25 in the second half behind 24 points off the bench from Abby Skube. The Ramblers missed 19 of their first 20 shots in the first meeting this season but held Valpo to 13 first-half points and rode a 19-point, 11-rebound, six-steal performance from Taylor Johnson to claim the win in the first meeting
Opponents Struggling To Contain The Long Arms Of The Law
Sophomore post Simone Law made an immediate impact last season, giving the Ramblers a presence in the paint, and has continued to play at a high level this year. A member of the 2011-12 Horizon League All-Newcomer Team and a Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team choice this fall, Law became the first freshman in program history to lead the team in both scoring (13.9 ppg) and rebounding (7.2) last season and she is pacing the Ramblers in both categories again this year (14.4/9.1). Law was playing some of the best basketball of her career, racking up three double-doubles in five games, before missing six games with a finger injury. However, she picked up right where she left off, pouring in 25 points (11-17 FGs) off the bench on Saturday in her return against Cleveland State
Movin' On Up
Senior guard Monica Albano put her name in the Loyola record book against Southern Illinois, becoming the 21st player in Loyola history to reach 1,000 career points, and she has been climbing Loyola's career scoring chart ever since. With her 23 points against Green Bay on Thursday, Albano passed Marquise Hanser, Mary Schoenhoff and Tracy Hoffmann to move into 10th on Loyola's all-time list. She enters play today with 1,244 career points, 14 behind Claire Molloy (9th - 1,258) and 19 behind Kathy Anderson (8th - 1,263)
Comeback Connoisseurs
For the second time in as many weeks, Loyola staged a late rally to come up with a key Horizon League win. The Ramblers rallied from an eight-point deficit over the final 4:36 to win at Milwaukee and came back from eight points down again against Cleveland State, turning it around over the last 4:48 to win on Troy Hambric's two free throws with :00.1 left. Interestingly enough, prior to the UWM game, Loyola had not trailed at all in the second half of its previous three wins and had been behind for exactly 4:00 combined in the second half of its first six victories (trailed for 6:45 vs UWM, 14:26 vs Cleveland State)
Better On The Boards
One area where Loyola has struggled this season has been on the backboards. However, boosted by the return of Simone Law, the Ramblers were competitive on the glass in Saturday's win over Cleveland State, getting outrebounded by just one (38-37). Loyola has outrebounded just two opponents this season and their -8.0 rebounding margin ranks last in the Horizon League. However, when they have rebounded well they have won, as the Ramblers are 23-2 (.920) under Simpson when winning the rebounding battle
Lighting Up Her Local Team
Senior Abby Skube suits up against her hometown team tonight for, perhaps, the final time in her career. A native of Chesterton, Ind., Skube has enjoyed some of the best games of her career against the Crusaders, averaging 12.5 ppg while shooting 56% from the floor and 53% from the three-point line in six career games. In fact, the two highest-scoring games of her career have come against Valpo, as she poured in a career-high 26 points her sophomore year and knocked down 9-of-12 shots last year here en route to a 24-point performance
