Courtesy of LoyolaGreyhounds.com.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Dylon Cormier’s layup with 1.5 seconds left in regulation and ensuing free throw provided the margin for Loyola University Maryland in a 67-64 win over the University of Albany on Sunday evening to give the Greyhounds the Springfield Bracket title at the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Albany (3-2 overall) led just twice in the first minute of the game, and the Greyhounds (4-1) went ahead by as many as 18 points in the first half, but the Great Danes tied the game on a Jacob Iati three from well behind the line with 3.1 remaining in the second half.
After a Loyola timeout, Anthony Winbush triggered the inbound pass from the far end and threw a baseball pass to Cormier just inside the opposite free-throw line. Cormier laid it in on the right side and was fouled by Albany’s D.J. Evans with 1.5 on the clock.
Cormier hit the free throw to push the lead to three, and the Albany inbound pass deflected off Evans’ hands and out of bounds with less than a second on the clock, securing the win.
The Greyhounds were presented with the Dave Gavitt Cup as the Springfield Bracket champions in a postgame ceremony.
“It is truly an honor to be presented with the Dave Gavitt trophy,” Head Coach Jimmy Patsos said. “Dave was a great friend of (former Maryland coach) Gary Williams and mine, and he did a tremendous amount for the game. This was a great environment and a fantastic tournament that the Hall of Fame and the MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) puts on.”
The Great Danes’ Blake Metcalf slipped a screen and scored 10 seconds in to the game, but Robert Olson drained a three at the other end for Loyola, and after John Puk converted on a layup for Albany, Olson hit another three to put the Greyhounds in front 1:17 in.
An Erik Etherly free throw at 15:33 stretched the Loyola advantage to 18-5 less than four-and-a-half, and an Etherly layup at 9:52 made it 30-12.
Albany chipped away and cut its deficit to 10, 41-31, 30 seconds before the break, and after the Greyhounds went up 13 early in the second half, Albany cut the Loyola lead to single digits with a Metcalf jumper with 14:17 to play.
Two Winbush free throws at 10:16 extended Loyola’s lead back to 13, 58-45,but Loyola scored just four points over the next 10 minutes, and a Metcalf dunk at 1:29 cut the Greyhounds’ lead to three, 62-39.
Etherly hit a pair of free throws with 65 ticks on the clock to make the lead five, but Peter Hooley laid in a basket with 46 seconds left, and a Loyola turnover led to Iati’s game-tying three.
“Albany is a very good team, and we knew they were going to make a run to come back,” Patsos said. “They did a good job of making plays, but Dylon made a great play after Winbush had a great pass.”
Ethelry led all players with 23 points, and he tied Winbush for team-high honors with seven rebounds. Cormer scored 16 points and had three assists and two steals. Winbush scored a season-best 12 points and passed out a game-best five assists.
Metcalf led Albany with 12 points, and Hooley and Iati had 11 each. Iati and fellow guard Mike Black entered averaging nearly 19 points each per game, but the Greyhounds held them to 18 combined.
Loyola, which concluded a five-game in 10 days opening to the season, will be back on the court Friday, November 23, at the University of Rhode Island in a 7 o’clock game.
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