Preview: La Salle Explorers at Loyola Chicago Ramblers

CHICAGO (Interstat) — Two Atlantic 10 Conference women’s basketball teams looking to halt recent slides will meet Wednesday when the La Salle Explorers visit the Loyola Chicago Ramblers at Joseph Gentile Center.

La Salle (10-8) enters on a four-game losing streak, most recently falling 62-58 to Davidson at home on Sunday. Despite the loss, guard Joan Quinn continued her strong play, scoring a team-high 19 points. Quinn has been the consistent offensive catalyst for the Explorers, averaging 12.9 points over her last seven contests. She scored 33 points in a Jan. 10 loss at Saint Joseph’s.

The Ramblers (7-11) snapped a two-game skid with a 53-48 road victory over George Washington on Saturday. Guard Alexus Mobley led the way with 19 points and two blocks. Mobley has provided a scoring punch for Loyola, averaging 12.2 points over her last six games, including a 19-point performance in the win at George Washington and 15 in a victory at Dayton on Jan. 7.

Both teams have struggled for consistency in conference play. La Salle’s current losing streak followed a 2-0 start in the A-10. Loyola Chicago has alternated wins and losses over its last five games.

The matchup will feature a contrast in recent momentum. The Explorers will aim to leverage Quinn’s scoring to break their losing streak, while the Ramblers will look to build on their defensive effort from Saturday, when they held George Washington to 48 points.

La Salle holds the better overall record, but Loyola Chicago has shown resilience at home this season, including a notable 69-68 non-conference win over Northwestern on Dec. 18.

The game is the first of two regular-season meetings between the programs this season. They are scheduled to play again at La Salle on Feb. 28.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CST Wednesday.