The Flames walked out of Credit Union 1 Arena victorious Thursday night as they defeated crosstown rival in the Loyola Ramblers (2-6) in a physical match-up, 45-36.

The program now stands at 7-1 and continues to inch closer to one of the best starts in recent years, dating back to the 8-1 start by the 2014-2015 team.  

The Flames were led offensively by Jaida McCloud, who scored 11. Kristian Young scored 9 points, grabbed 10 boards, stole the ball 2 times and had 3 assists.

In the first half, both teams struggle to offensively find their rhythm. That was until Jaida McCloud began found her groove. Scoring 10 of her 11 points in the game, teammates continued to find a lane for her and let her battle where she's most comfortable: in the paint.

On the other side of the ball however, the Flames heated up quickly early on. They kept the Ramblers from getting on the board until midway through the first quarter and shined in the rebound category. Out rebounding Loyola 20-18 by halftime, the Flames were led in the battle on boards by Kristian Young with 6.

In the second half, the Flames continued to hold onto their lead. Big contribution came from the work off the bench with Ky Dempsey-Toney. After only scoring two points in the first half, she scored 8 in the second half, and 10 in the game. She also grabbed 7 rebounds on the night.

Although the Flames held their lead for most of the game, the Ramblers cut the lead to as low as 5 in the closing minutes. Through the continued work on defense and six crucial free throws, Kristian Young managed to turn the game into a multi-possession game. Through the work on defense and grabbing of rebounds, the Flames closed out the game with the victory. Young grabbed 4 additional more rebounds to reach double digits in rebounds to pass her season-high of 8 in their win on November 7th against IUPUI.

The Flames won on the boards, 36-28 and in bench points 14-8. The Flames held the Ramblers to landing 25 percent of their shots and their lowest point total of the season. 
The Flames return to the road this weekend when they travel to Cincinnati to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats Sunday, December 4th. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 pm.