CHICAGO, Ill. – The Saint Joseph's women's basketball continued its "road warrior" mantra on Wednesday evening, earning a 61-50 victory inside the Gentile Arena as the Hawks won their seventh-consecutive game in a row.
 
In a night where St. Joe's entered its second-best start in program history, four different Hawks grabbed double-digits in scoring as SJU improved to 20-2 (9-1 Atlantic 10) on the season. Loyola Chicago falls to 11-10 on the year, 5-5 in A-10 play.
 
 
FIRST QUARTER

• After opening up with the first four points on the first two possessions, the Hawks went cold and allowed the hosts to rip off eight-straight points into the media timeout.
• Out of the other end of the break, Julia Nyström got the Hawks going with a bucket that would inspire a 15-0 run.
• Aleah Snead picked the pocket of her defender and was led to a wide-open layup on the other end before Talya Brugler scored six-straight of her own.
• Chloe Welch knocked down a triple before Brugler capped off the run with her eighth point of the quarter. Loyola Chicago finally responded with a three in the final minute to cut the deficit to 19-11 after the first quarter.

 
SECOND QUARTER

• The Hawks opened the second with nine of the first 11 points, extending the lead 28-13 at the media timeout as Mackenzie Smith scored five of the nine points for the visitors.
• The eventual 9-0 run continued through Smith, including a 7-0 personal run as the junior finished tough through traffic.
• St. Joe's held a 13-3 advantage over the Ramblers in the quarter after Snead grabbed her sixth point of the night with seconds on the clock.
• Loyola's Kira Chivers took the inbound pass, dribbled three times and launched a shot beyond the halfcourt line that sunk into the bottom of the net to double their quarter tally as the Hawks went into the lockers with a 32-17 advantage.

 
THIRD QUARTER

• After an opening bucket from the Ramblers to start the third, it quickly turned into the Welch and Smith show as the two combined for the next 10 points, started and finished by a pair of threes from the Colorado Springs, Colo. native.
• Loyola Chicago made a run of its own, holding the Hawks to just one field goal over 5:41 to tack an 8-2 run.
• Snead ended the run with the next three points for St. Joe's to match her career-high. The Ramblers finished on the ensuing possession with a second buzzer-beater of the game, this time under the rim as the Hawks led 47-29 with 10 minutes to play.

 
FOURTH QUARTER

• Baskets were traded by both teams as the Hawks were able to maintain the separation over the opening three minutes.
• The hosts were able to cut the deficit to as few as 12 points with three minutes remaining.
• Free throws from the Welch and Brugler closed the game out, the Ramblers scoring four consolation points in the final minute of play as the Hawks walked out 61-50 winners inside the Gentile Arena.

 
 
GAME NOTES

• Mackenzie Smith led the team with 15 points, one of four Hawks to end in double-digits. Smith added a career-high five steals in the win, sitting just 30 points shy of 1,000 on her career.
• Talya Brugler added 14 points in the win with a team-high seven rebounds and two blocks. The junior also tied for a team-best with five assists, her fifth game with 5+ assists on the season. Brugler has scored in double figures in 36 of 41 Atlantic 10 games on her career.
• In her first-career start, Aleah Snead finished with a career-best 13 points, five rebounds and three assists. Snead also matched her career-best with two steals.
• Chloe Welch was the fourth Hawk in double figures with 11 points on the evening.
• Julia Nyström added five assists while Emma Boslet assisted on four baskets, Boslet matching her career-high in steals with three in her first eight minutes of play.
• St. Joe's finished 25-50 (50.0%) from the field, assisting on 18 of the 25 made field goals. The Hawks forced 20 turnovers on the night, capitalizing with 25 points off of Rambler turnovers.
• Despite shooting 30% from the field in the first half, Loyola Chicago finished 20-46 (43.5%) from the field.
• The Hawks move to 3-0 all-time against the Ramblers, earning the first win in the first opportunity against Loyola Chicago on the road.
• St. Joe's remains the only unbeaten road team in the country with double-digit wins, earning the 11^th win on the road this season. St. Joe's continued the best road start to the season, surpassing the 9-0 record set by the 1999-2000 team.

 
 
UP NEXT
St. Joe's is set to host Massachusetts on Saturday, February 3. The Hawks are celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day against the Minutewomen, with tip scheduled for 2 p.m.