CHICAGO (Interstat) — In a crosstown Missouri Valley Conference matchup at the UIC Pavilion on Saturday, the Illinois-Chicago Flames used a dominant first-half performance and a double-double from Julia Coleman to defeat the Loyola Chicago Ramblers 68-54 in women’s college basketball.

A crowd of 495 watched the Flames improve to 2-3 on the young season, while the Ramblers dropped their fourth straight game to fall to 1-5.

Illinois-Chicago seized control from the opening tip, establishing an early lead and maintaining a double-digit advantage for nearly the entire contest. The Flames outscored the Ramblers 17-10 in the first quarter and 16-9 in the second to take a commanding 33-19 lead into halftime. Loyola Chicago’s offense struggled to find its rhythm, shooting a frigid percentage from the field in the opening half.

The Ramblers showed signs of life after the break, outpacing the Flames 15-19 in the third quarter to narrow the gap. They continued to fight in the final period, scoring 20 points, their highest total in any quarter, but could never close the deficit to a single possession as Illinois-Chicago consistently answered with scores of their own to secure the 14-point victory.

Coleman, a 6-foot sophomore from St. Louis, Missouri, was the engine for the Flames. In just 24 minutes of action, she recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, adding an assist and a block to her stat line. Her presence in the paint was felt on both ends of the floor.

The Flames’ backcourt also delivered key performances. Jessica Carrothers of Highland, Indiana, facilitated the offense with a team-high 6 assists to go with her 12 points. Sara Zabrecky, from Munster, Indiana, provided a crucial scoring punch from the perimeter, chipping in 12 points, including several timely three-pointers. Chantrel “Tutu” Clayton, another St. Louis native, added 10 points and was disruptive defensively.

For Loyola Chicago, the standout performance came from Canadian forward Alex-Anne Bessette. The 6-foot-2 sophomore was a bright spot in the losing effort, pouring in a game-high 22 points on 32 minutes, alongside 4 rebounds and 2 assists. She was relentless in attacking the basket throughout the contest.

Brooklyn Vaughn of Maumee, Ohio, nearly notched a double-double for the Ramblers, finishing with 11 points and 8 rebounds. Kendall Hendrix from West Bloomfield, Michigan, contributed 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists, but also committed several turnovers as the Ramblers struggled with ball security.

A key factor in the game was points off turnovers. Illinois-Chicago capitalized on Loyola’s mistakes, scoring 18 points off Rambler turnovers, while Loyola managed 14 points off Flames’ miscues. Despite the loss, Loyola Chicago dominated inside, outscoring Illinois-Chicago 34-24 on points in the paint, a testament to the efforts of Bessette and Vaughn.

The game was never in serious doubt for the Flames after their strong start. They led by as many as 18 points and effectively managed the clock in the fourth quarter to prevent any dramatic comeback from the visiting Ramblers.

Loyola Chicago will look to snap its losing streak when it travels to face DePaul on Wednesday, November 26. Illinois-Chicago, meanwhile, hits the road for its next contest, a Monday matchup against Ball State on November 24.