Chicago -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team cut a 24-point deficit to three points, but the Penguins ran out of gas and fell 70-52 to Loyola on Thursday evening at the Gentile Center.
     The Penguins gave the Ramblers a 19-point head start and trailed 29-5 before going on a 33-9 run.
     YSU scored the first nine points of the second half and trailed just 38-35 on Jaquetta Westley's fast-break lay-up at the 15:38 mark of the second half.
     The Penguins, however, started to tire and let Loyola go on a 9-2 run and could not get closer than seven the rest of the way.
     Camisha Alexander scored 16 points, 12 of which came in the first 10 minutes of the second half, to lead the Penguins. Four other players scored at least seven, including a career-high eight points from Kenya Middlebrooks.
     Elyse VanBogaert scored 23 points on 11-for-13 shooting for Loyola to lead all scorers.
     Trailing 34-18 at halftime following a 13-5 run to close out the half, YSU came out and scored 17 points in the first 4:22 of the second half.
     Alexander scored six points during the run, Kelsey Gurganus scored five, and Macey Nortey, Middlebrooks and Westley all had two. After Westley's lay up with 15:38 remaining, YSU scored 17 points the rest of the half.
     Lindsey Sebetic hit a 3-pointer, her only bucket of the game, on Loyola's next possession to spark the Rambler's 9-2 run.
     The Penguins outscored the Ramblers 16-4 off turnovers in the second half and had a season-high 18 points off the fast break.
     YSU was ultimately doomed, however, but a nightmarish start. The Penguins did not score until the 12:37 mark of the first half and missed their first seven shots until Rachael Manuel's bucket at the 11:06 mark found the net. Once YSU got on the board, the Guins outscored Loyola 18-15 for the rest of the half.
     YSU shot 28 percent in the first half while Loyola shot 45.2 percent. The Guins also committed 11 turnovers, six of which came in the first nine minutes as a result of Loyola's full-court defense. Those turnovers led to a 21-7 edge for Loyola in points off turnovers in the opening half. The Ramblers also outscored YSU 13-4 on fast-break opportunities through the first 20 minutes.
     VanBogaert scored all 13 of her first-half points in the first 12 minutes and was 6-for-8 from the field in the period. After her 13th point at the 8:16 mark put Loyola up 29-5, YSU closed out the half on a 13-5 run.
     Manuel and Nortey hit jumpers, and Nortey and Middlebrooks went 3-for-3 from the line as YSU scored seven straight points. Alexander also hit two jumpers in a span of 50 seconds a YSU climbed to within 15 with 2:16 to go.
     Jessica Hylton added six points in the first half for Loyola on two 3-pointers.
     YSU dropped to 2-24 overall and 0-15 in Horizon League contests. Loyola improved to 8-17 overall, 3-12 in league play and won for the second time in three games.
     The Penguins will stay in Chicago to play UIC on Saturday at 4 p.m. EST.