BALTIMORE – Loyola University Maryland opened the doors to Reitz Arena played in front of a live audience for the first time in 2011-2012, and the Greyhounds entertained the crowd with an 83-71 victory over Indiana University of Pennsylvania in exhibition play on Thursday night.
Erik Etherly scored a game-high 22 points and added eight rebounds, as the Greyhounds built a 10-point lead in the game’s first three minutes. Loyola would not lead by more than 12 points, but the Crimson Hawks drew close than seven only twice in the game.
“IUP is a very good Division II team, and they gave us exactly what we needed for an exhibition game, a tough game that we can take a lot away from,” Loyola Head Coach Jimmy Patsos said after the contest. “They went to the Division II National Championship game two years ago and the Sweet 16 last year when they won 26 games.
“We knew that they were a very good shooting team with the ability to score a lot of points, and I think overall we defended them well and made them take some shots they did not want.”
Anthony Winbush returned to the court after a medical redshirt season last year and scored seven of the game’s first 14 points, knocking down two 3-pointers. The junior forward’s second three from the top left came after Etherly drove and kicked out for the open look, giving Loyola a 12-2 advantage 2:52 in.
Etherly extended Loyola’s lead to 12, 20-8, with a turnaround layup, and Loyola led by 12 on four other first-half occasions. Julian Sanders cut the Greyhounds’ halftime advantage to nine, 41-32, with a three one minute before the break.
The Greyhounds led by 12 again with 12:41 to play on an Etherly jumper that made the score 58-46, but the Crimson Hawks quickly cut the advantage to seven on a traditional 3-point play by Sanders with 11:39 remaining.
Winbush and Kevin Jones traded baskets for the teams before R.J. Williams knocked down a deep 3-pointer that energized the Loyola student section, pushing the Greyhounds’ cushion to 64-53.
Jones and Ashton Smith made back-to-back field goals for IUP, wrapped around a Loyola turnover. Dylon Cormier, however, canned a three when he was left open after a Winbush drive and kick. With 8:54 to play.
IUP again cut the Loyola lead to seven, but Etherly and Justin Drummond both made 2-of-2 from the free-throw line in consecutive trips down the court for the Greyhounds.
Loyola was solid from the charity stripe, making 23-of-27 foul shots.
Etherly again made a pair at the line with 3:07 to play, making Loyola’s lead 77-66, but a Smith three and a Jones layup cut it back to 77-71 with 1:37 remaining.
Jones’ layup, however, would be the last points the Crimson Hawks would score, as Loyola shut the door defensively.
Winbush scored 12 for the Greyhounds, while Walker andDrummond each had 11, and Cormier tallied nine. Jordan Latham made his Loyola debut with eight points, and Robert Olson and Williams each chipped in five.
Walker led all players with nine rebounds.
Sanders tallied 17 for IUP, and former Loyola center Josh Wiegand added 16 for the Crimson Hawks.
The Greyhounds open their regular-season on Friday, November 11, when they take on Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., in a game that will be broadcast nationally on ESPN3 at 7 p.m.
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