Chicago, Ill. -- Junior Tiara Scott scored 18 points and senior Jessica Schloemp scored 17 but the Youngstown State women's basketball team could overcome a hot-shooting Loyola ball club and dropped a 86-70 decision to the Ramblers on Thursday evening at the Gentile Center.

    The Penguins fall to 12-16 overall and 7-10 in the Horizon League while the Ramblers improve to  7-21 overall and 5-12 in the league.

    Loyola, which shot 52.5 percent for the game, shot 60.7 percent from the field in the second half and quickly turned a six-point halftime lead into an 11-point advantage, 43-32, less than a minute into the second half.

    A jumper by Scott and a lay up by Velissa Vaughn cut the deficit to seven, but the Ramblers quickly responded with five straight points to balloon their lead back to 12, 48-36, with 15:52 remaining.

    Ashley Pendleton's layup at the 14:10 mark brought the Guins within eight points, 50-42, but the Penguins would not get closer.

    Loyola closed out the first half with a 13-2 run to erase a five point deficit and take a 38-32 advantage into the locker room.

    The Penguins held a 30-25 lead with 5:42 remaining after two free throws from Scott, but the Ramblers scored the next 13 points - keyed by Keisha Collins' seven straight points - to take a 38-30 lead with 1:36 left.

    Toni Roscoe converted two free throws at the 1:22 mark to finish the first half scoring.

    Over the last 8:21 of the half, the Guins did not make a field goal and committed eight of their 13 first-half miscues.

    The Penguins jumped out to an early 7-2 lead but the Ramblers quickly answered to knot the game at 9-9.

    The Guins, who shot 47.6 percent in the first half, made 10 of their first 16 field goal attempts (62.5 percent) but missed their last five shots.

    The Guins close out the 2007-08 regular season against UIC, Saturday, March 8, at 4 p.m.