Courtesy of LoyolaGreyhounds.com
BALTIMORE – Andre Walker made a twisting left-handed layup with 27.3 seconds left to give Loyola University Maryland a 62-60 Patriot League win over visiting Lehigh University on Wednesday night in Reitz Arena.
Walker, who led all players with 19 points and a career-high tying nine rebounds, beat his defender off the dribble from near midcourt, got to the middle of the lane on the right side and shifted the ball to his left hand. He drew contact from a Mountain Hawks post player, but his layup went down to provide the game’s final difference.
Lehigh’s Kahron Ross pulled up from 18 feet with 12 seconds remaining, but his shot went off the mark, and Cam Gregory pulled down his eighth rebound of the night. He was fouled quickly and went to the line with 9.6 seconds left, but he missed the front end of one-and-one, and Lehigh had one more possession to tie or take the lead.
The ball again stayed in Ross’ hands, and he drove baseline from the left side, but his layup bounced off the rim and into the hands of Loyola’s Andrew Kostecka as time expired.
Loyola (12-10 overall, 6-5 Patriot League) trailed 30-29 at halftime, but jumpers on consecutive possessions by Walker and Kostecka gave the Greyhounds a 33-32 advantage 70 seconds into the second half.
Lehigh (12-9, 6-5), however, went on a 12-1 run to lead 44-34 with 14 minutes, 40 seconds left in regulation after a Jordan Cohen transition layup.
The Greyhounds called a timeout, but they committed a turnover on their next possession. Gregory came up with a steal near halfcourt, and he went all the way to the basket to score. Jarred Joens then scored off a Chancellor Barnard pass with 12:13 on the clock, and a Kostecka three at 11:41 made it 44-41 Lehigh, forcing a Mountain Hawks’ timeout.
More than three minutes later, KaVaughn Scott took a Walker inbounds pass and scored in the paint, and Walker then scored at 7:23 to tie the game at 48-48. He was fouled on the shot and made the ensuing free throw to give the Greyhounds a one-point advantage.
Lehigh’s Brandon Alston scored on the Mountain Hawks’ next possession, and other than a tie at 51-51, the visiting team was in front for the next six-plus minutes.
Walker used a crossover dribble and stepback in the left corner to gain shooting space, and he knocked down a three at 2:34 to make it a one-point game. Matt Holba responded in the paint for the Mountain Hawks, but Gregory scored at 1:50, and Loyola was down, 59-58.
Lehigh used nearly all of the shot clock on its next possession before Cohen initiated a drive down the left side. Barnard blocked his shot, and the shot clock expired. Jones found Gregory in the paint with 70 seconds left in regulation, and Gregory scored to put Loyola up, 60-59.
Ross drove for Lehigh, and the Greyhounds were whistled for a foul, but the Lehigh guard made just one of two at the line, tying the score at 60-60 to set up the finishing sequence.
Walker scored 14 of his 19 points after halftime, and he came up one rebound shy of his first career double-double, but he matched his career-high in that category. He also dished out six assists and had two steals and a blocked shot.
Gregory tallied 15 points and eight rebounds, while Jones had 14 and four.
Kyle Leufroy scored 17 to pace Lehigh, while Cohen and Alston each chipped in 14.
Loyola maintained a 34-27 rebounding edge, but it committed 18 turnovers to Lehigh’s 13.
The Greyhounds swept the regular-season series from the Mountain Hawks for the first time since joining the Patriot League in 2013-2014. The teams had split the season series in each of the last three years.
Loyola wraps up a two-game homestand on Saturday, Feb. 4, when it hosts the U.S. Military Academy at 2 p.m.
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