CHICAGO (Interstat) — Loyola Chicago erased a 15-point halftime deficit and defeated Arkansas State 63-61 on Wednesday at Joseph Gentile Center, with Md Ntambue hitting a turnaround jump shot with 1.1 seconds remaining to complete the Ramblers’ comeback in a women’s NCAA Division I game played before an announced attendance of 189.

Arkansas State opened the game with an 8-0 run as Amina Gray made two 3-pointers and Angela Carroll converted a tip-in layup. Loyola Chicago responded with a 13-6 close to the first quarter and trailed 14-13 after one. Kendall Hendrix made a layup, Brooklyn Vaughn made a 3-pointer, Md Ntambue made a layup, Gabby Wilke made a layup and Rosalie Mercille made two free throws during the Ramblers’ answer. The Red Wolves took control in the second quarter. Maya Chocano made a 3-pointer, Audreonia Benson made back-to-back 3-pointers, and Crislyn Rose scored on a layup just before halftime to help Arkansas State build a 41-26 lead at the break. Rose’s layup with 18.7 seconds left in the second quarter capped a stretch in which Arkansas State outscored Loyola Chicago 27-13 in the period.

Loyola Chicago began its comeback after halftime. Angela Le Faou made a layup and a hook shot early in the third quarter, and Ntambue’s driving layup cut Arkansas State’s lead to 43-32. Rose answered with a layup, and Le Faou added a tip-in layup as the Ramblers stayed within striking distance. Amina Gray made two free throws and a layup, while Jermesha Frierson made two free throws and a layup for Arkansas State. The Red Wolves pushed their lead to 53-43 on Frierson’s layup with 1:13 remaining in the third, but Ntambue scored at the rim with 4.7 seconds left to make it 53-45 entering the fourth quarter. Le Faou then opened the fourth with three consecutive layups to pull Loyola Chicago within 53-51.

The final quarter became a possession-by-possession finish. Ntambue tied the score at 53 with a turnaround jump shot, and Arkansas State briefly regained the lead on Allyson Ferguson’s layup. Rose made two free throws for a 57-55 Arkansas State lead, but Le Faou answered with two free throws and Vaughn made one of two from the line to put Loyola Chicago ahead 58-57. Le Faou added another free throw, and Ntambue’s layup gave the Ramblers a 61-57 cushion. Rose scored at the rim and then made two free throws with 1:01 remaining to tie the score at 61. Ntambue delivered the final basket, hitting a turnaround jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining for the 63-61 final. Arkansas State did not score again.

Arkansas State finished 20 of 60 from the floor, 10 of 30 from 3-point range and 11 of 14 from the free-throw line. Loyola Chicago was 22 of 63 overall, 3 of 19 from beyond the arc and 16 of 25 at the line. The Red Wolves had 77 possessions and an offensive rating of 79.6, while the Ramblers had 76 possessions and an offensive rating of 83.0. Loyola Chicago held a 16-4 advantage in offensive rebounds, scored 36 points in the paint and converted 14 Arkansas State turnovers into 15 points. Arkansas State scored eight points off 17 Loyola Chicago turnovers, had 20 points in the paint, eight assists, four blocks and 14 turnovers. Loyola Chicago had three assists and two blocks.

Crislyn Rose led Arkansas State with 24 points, four rebounds and seven assists in 33 minutes. Rose, a 5-foot-8 guard from Sachse, Texas, and a Sachse High School product, made two 3-pointers and went 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Gemma Wichmann had five points and 16 rebounds in 19 minutes for Loyola Chicago. Wichmann is a 6-foot forward and Magnificat High School product. Ntambue added 16 points, six rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes, including the decisive shot. Ntambue is a 5-foot-9 guard from Crestwood Prep School. Le Faou scored 15 points with six rebounds in 20 minutes. Le Faou is a 6-foot-5 forward from Tony Parker Academy. Wilke had 10 points, three rebounds and one block in 19 minutes. Vaughn contributed seven points, six rebounds and one assist in 17 minutes. Benson scored seven points with three rebounds and one assist in 28 minutes for Arkansas State. Hendrix had four points, five rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes. Gray scored 13 points with two rebounds and one assist in 36 minutes. Chocano added nine points and four rebounds in 21 minutes.

The result left Arkansas State 0-3 this season after losses at Florida Gulf Coast and Ball State. Loyola Chicago improved to 2-1 after a loss at Green Bay and a home win over Wright State. Loyola Chicago next hosts Milwaukee, while Arkansas State returns home to face Jackson State.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Arkansas State 70, Loyola Chicago 60. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Arkansas State with a 62.9 percent probability to win.