CHICAGO (Interstat) — In a game defined by defensive pressure and missed opportunities, the Loyola Chicago women’s basketball team secured a hard-fought 71-64 victory over Saint Louis on Sunday at Joseph Gentile Center. The win, powered by a game-high 20 points from Alex-Anne Bessette, improved the Ramblers to 6-10 on the season, while the Billikens fell to 8-10.

The contest was a stark contrast in offensive efficiency. Loyola Chicago scored its 71 points on just 69 possessions, translating to an offensive rating of 102.2. Saint Louis, meanwhile, managed only 64 points from 71 possessions, an offensive rating of 90.0, hampered by 35.5% shooting from the field. Despite forcing 14 Rambler turnovers and converting them into 16 points, the Billikens could not overcome their own shooting woes or contain Bessette in key moments.

The most pivotal sequence of the game unfolded in the final minute, transforming a narrow contest into a two-possession Loyola Chicago lead. With the Ramblers clinging to a 65-63 advantage and just over a minute to play, Saint Louis had a chance to tie or take the lead. Following a timeout, the Billikens’ Jahda Denis committed a critical turnover, her fifth of the game, stolen by Loyola Chicago’s Alexa Kinas. Kinas immediately converted the steal into a driving layup, pushing the lead to 67-63 with 1:04 remaining.

Saint Louis, now in desperation mode, saw Denis miss a turnaround jumper on the ensuing possession. Loyola Chicago’s Roisin Grandberry secured the defensive rebound, was fouled, and calmly sank two free throws with one second left to seal the outcome at 71-64. This decisive four-point swing in under 30 seconds—from a potential game-tying possession for Saint Louis to a six-point Loyola Chicago cushion—proved insurmountable.

Bessette, a 6-foot-2 forward from Quebec City, was the offensive catalyst for the Ramblers, adding six rebounds and two assists to her 20 points. Her performance inside helped Loyola Chicago match Saint Louis with 32 points in the paint. Kinas, from Kaukauna, Wisconsin, provided crucial support with 12 points, including the pivotal steal-and-score, along with two steals and a block.

Saint Louis was led by a double-double from 6-foot-6 center Alyssa Koerkenmeier of Saint Rose, Illinois, who posted 14 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. Zya Nugent of Denison, Texas, hauled in a game-high 13 rebounds for the Billikens. Denis finished with 13 points and four steals, but her seven turnovers, including the costly late-game error, underscored Saint Louis’s struggles with ball security against an active Loyola Chicago defense that recorded six steals.

The Ramblers’ defensive effort was particularly evident in their work on the perimeter, holding Saint Louis to 6-of-23 shooting from three-point range. Offensively, Loyola Chicago was more disciplined, attempting 22 free throws and making 17, compared to Saint Louis’s 17 attempts and 14 makes. The Ramblers also won the assist battle, dishing out 12 to Loyola Chicago’s six, indicating more fluid ball movement.

The result defied the pregame statistical projection from Interstat’s ELO system, which had given Saint Louis a 59% probability of winning on the road. Instead, Loyola Chicago capitalized on its home court to even the season series ahead of the rematch scheduled for Jan. 24 in St. Louis.

Both teams resume conference play Wednesday. Loyola Chicago travels to face George Mason, while Saint Louis visits La Salle.