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LU Reaches .500 With Fifth Straight

2/22/03
by John C. Thomas
Just when it seemed like the Ramblers were coming together as a team, Loyola hit the road and barely survived a woeful but gutty Cleveland State team Saturday night at the Convocation Center. The Ramblers could not get their offense going at the beginning of either half, but put together two 12-2 runs to climb back into the game and surged in the final two minutes to escape with a 77-72 win.

As has been their pattern on the road all year, Loyola dug a 15-5 hole in the first five and a half minutes thanks to six turnovers. But the Ramblers gathered themselves and put together a 12-2 run to even the game at 17 with 10:55 left to play. Loyola took the lead for the first time at 35-32 with two minutes left in the half, but the Vikings answered with a 7-2 run to close out the half and send the teams to the locker room with CSU holding a 40-37 lead.

The second half began just like the first, with Loyola scoring only one point in the first four minutes of the half while CSU extended their lead to 49-38. Then, as seems their custom on the road, the Ramblers noticed the scoreboard, turned up the defense, and used the full-court press to stage another 12-2 run to cut CSU's lead to 51-50 with 11:44 left to play.

The Vikings, who entered the game having lost nine of their last 10, could have easily given up at that point. But to their credit, they traded baskets with the Ramblers for the next nine minutes, when the two squads entered the last 2:40 of the game tied at 69.

Loyola again turned up the defense, led by Demetrius Williams and David Bailey. Williams, playing with four fouls, blocked a couple of shots and passes that were tipped out to Terrance Whiters for easy lay-ups. And Bailey, who struggled offensively, had two key steals in the last :30 to ice the game for the Ramblers' ninth conference win, their fifth win in a row, and a .500 record on the year.

Paul McMillan had another monster game-- his 12th double-double on the year-- with a game-high 16 points and 14 boards. Kevin Clancy and Demetrius Williams each added 14 points, and Whiters scored 13-- all in the second half. Modibo Niakate led the Vikes with 15.

The regular season is down to one game, which actually could mean something if Butler gets the top seed and UIC loses out-- it would tie us with UIC and we would hold the tie-breaker by virtue of our victory over Butler. It's extremely unlikely, since UIC plays at Loyola and home against Youngstown State on their senior night. Might as well bank on the fourth seed for the conference tournament, which would at this point give us a home game against Wright State on Tuesday, March 4.

But first, a big crowd and a big win for the five seniors-- Bailey, Minnifield, Clancy, Vas, and Coons. Let's send them off right, just in case it's the last home game...