Courtesy of LoyolaGreyhounds.com
BALTIMORE – Down 12 with just over nine minutes to go in the first and scuffling on both ends of the floor, Loyola University Maryland outscored previously undefeated Fairfield University by 27 points over the game’s final 29 minutes and defeated its former Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference foe, 81-66, in a Wednesday afternoon game at Reitz Arena.
Tyler Nelson’s steal and fast-break layup for Fairfield (3-1 overall) with 9:03 left in the first half put the Stags in front 27-15. It was Loyola’s fifth turnover of the game, and the Greyhounds (2-3) would only commit six more for the remainder of the contest.
Loyola also evened the rebounding game and cut the Stags’ field-goal percentage by more than 13 percent in the last 29 minutes.
James Fives hit a 3-pointer on the Greyhounds’ next possession after Nelson’s layup, starting a stretch that would see Loyola score 21 of the next 29 points to lead by one, 36-25, on a Nevell Provo transition three with 3:13 remaining in the half.
Provo finished the game with a career-high 10 points, and Fives matched his career-best with 13.
Fairfield would retake the lead with two Nelson free throws after Provo’s triple, and it would stretch to four with a Curtis Cobb layup 46 seconds before the break, but Jarred Jones tipped in a Loyola miss to cut the deficit to 41-39 at halftime.
Jones recorded his second double-double of the year with a season- and game-high 24 points and team-best 10 rebounds.
Jerome Segura made a 10-foot jumper for Fairfield 2:36 into the second half, giving the Stags a 47-43 lead, but Loyola went on a 29-8 run that covered the next seven-plus minutes.
Defense fueled the Loyola run as the Greyhounds had 11 second-half steals and forced 14 Stags turnovers total after the break.
After Segura’s jumper, a Jones deflection and steal led to an Andrew Kostecka fast-break layup, and the Greyhounds blocked two shots on Fairfield’s next possession. Andre Walker altered a Segura layup attempt, and Jones denied Amadou Sidibe from behind in a put-back try. Walker grabbed the defensive board off Sidibe’s miss and went the length of the floor for a basket to tie the game at 47-47.
Out of a media timeout, Segura scored to put Fairfield in front a final time, but Cam Gregory scored for Loyola, and Kostecka had a steal and transition bucket to put Loyola in front by two, 51-49.
Chancellor Barnard would hit two free throws for Loyola at 14:30, and Fives knocked down another three at 14:06, stretching the Greyhounds’ advantage to seven. Sidibe made one of two at the line on Fairfield’s next possession, but Gregory used a spin-dribble in traffic to score in the lane, putting Loyola in front by eight.
Jones then knocked down a jumper with 12:12 on the clock, and Loyola had its first double-digit advantage of the matinee.
Nelson momentarily slowed the run with a three 26 seconds later, but Jones used one of Walker’s game-high four assists to score on the baseline at 11:08. That basket started the second part of the Loyola run, that saw the lead balloon to 17, 72-55, after a Provo steal and assist to Kostecka on the break with 7:39 left in regulation.
From that point on, Fairifeld would draw no closer than 14, a margin they cut it to on a Jonathan Kasibabu basket with 5:37 on the clock.
In addition to the 47 combined points by Jones, Fives and Provo, Walker added nine, while Gregory and Kostecka each had seven.
Matija Milin scored 13 of his Fairfield-leading 15 points in the first half. Sidibe and Nelson each scored 13 points, and Kasibabu added 10 off the bench. Sidibe helped Fairfield to a 40-35 rebounding edge with 14 boards.
The loss was Fairfield’s first of the season, and the Stags 66 points were also a season-low. They entered the game averaging 78 points per game, but Loyola held Nelson eight points under his average, and Curtis Cobb’s nine was more than half under what he had scored in Fairfield’s first three contests.
Loyola will enjoy a quick break for the Thanksgiving holiday, before playing at Creighton University on Saturday, Nov. 26, in a 3:30 p.m. (Central) game that will air nationally on Fox Sports 2.
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