Offense Sputters in Second Half as Men’s Basketball Falls to VCU

The Loyola men’s basketball team came up short on the road in Richmond, Virginia as struggles from beyond the arc brought their three-game Atlantic 10 win streak to an end against Virginia Commonwealth University 74-67. 

Graduate forward Dame Adelekun was the top scorer for the Ramblers, finishing with 14 points. Second-year guard Jayden Dawson continued his hot streak with 12 points while first-year center Miles Rubin recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Fourth-year Rams guard Joe Bamisile led the way for VCU with 25 points by way of five 3-pointers. 

Loyola wrapped up their east coast road trip in Richmond and came in sitting at 13-6 and 5-1 in A-10 play following a 65-61 win in the Big Apple against Fordham University. The Rams entered play among the league’s best at 12-7 and 3-2 in A-10 play. 

Rubin got the game going after executing a pick and roll with graduate guard Braden Norris to perfection. Rubin scored again seconds later when third-year guard Des Watson found him open underneath the rim. Two successful trips to the line by second-year Ram forward Christian Fermin and first-year VCU guard Michael Belle gave the Rams a 6-4 lead at the first official timeout.

VCU unleashed a 3-point barrage with Bamisile connecting on two and fourth-year guard Max Shulga draining one from the corner. A deep two from Watson and a 3-pointer by Dawson helped Loyola halt the run, but the Ramblers quickly found themselves in a 15-11 hole. 

Graduate Ram forward Kuany Kauny hit a floater as the shot clock expired. Fermin was then left free in transition to hammer home a flashy slam dunk leading Loyola head coach Drew Valentine to call timeout down 19-13. 

Rubin converted on an and-one but on the other end, Bamisile netted another 3-pointer. VCU capitalized on Rambler turnovers and extended their lead to 26-18. Fourth-year forward Philip Alston and Dawson both scored on second chance putbacks before Norris hit Watson cutting into the lane for a mean one-hand slam, cutting the Ram lead to just 26-24. 

Adelekun used his strength inside to pick up six quick points giving the Ramblers their first lead since the opening at 30-28 as VCU struggled through a four minute scoring drought. Dawson finished a driving layup and Norris dropped in two at the line, setting Loyola up with a 36-30 lead. 

With 15 seconds in the half graduate Ram guard Sean Bairstow drove into the lane where his shot was rejected off the backboard by Rubin. Loyola sped into transition when a kicked ball violation was called on VCU. 

With 4.2 seconds left, graduate forward Tom Welch attempted to throw the ball across nearly the entire floor to Alston, but he couldn’t come up with it. Bamisile got downfloor in three seconds where he got off a 3-pointer with 0.1 seconds on the clock that was perfectly on target, cutting the lead to 36-33 and providing VCU with a huge momentum shift going into halftime. 

In the second half, Dawson got going with a 3-pointer as the Rams rattled off seven quick points punctuated by a Kuany 3-ball giving them the lead right back at 40-39. An intense back-and-forth ensued with the lead changing hands seven times in five minutes. 

Bamisile found success inside while Rubin continued his stellar play as he touched a lob from Dawson off the glass and in. Dawson took the lead back at 51-50 after he got going downhill and finished at the rim with a raucous slam dunk, but it was short lived as Bamisile responded with a deep pull-up 3-pointer. 

Graduate guard Greg Dolan tied it back up at 54 with a 3-pointer of his own, but a 7-0 VCU run followed as Kuany connected from beyond the arc. Bamisile got his own rebound on a missed free throw and put it back up leaving the Ramblers behind 61-54.

It only got worse for the Ramblers as Bamisile intercepted a Dawson pass and took it coast to coast, finishing with a dunk at the rim. Kuany made a 3-pointer and was fouled in the process, making the free throw to convert the 4-point play and cap off the 13-1 Ram run with a 67-55 lead.

Loyola wasn’t ready to go down easy and, with less than four minutes to play, went on a 7-0 run of their own, starting with a Dawson 3-pointer and four points inside by Adelekun. Down 67-62 Norris drew a foul and went one for two at the line making it a four point game with a minute and a half to play. 

Watson grabbed the rebound on Norris’ miss and found Dawson outside for three, but his shot was too strong. Rubin came down with the rebound but left his putback short and fouled Bairstow fighting for another rebound. Bairstow went two for two at the line giving VCU a 69-63 cushion.

A deep Norris three rattled in and out, and the Ramblers were forced to intentionally foul second-year Ram forward Toibu Lawal who made one of two. Adelekun took it himself and drew a foul driving into the lane, making both to cut the deficit to 70-65 with 45 seconds left. 

Dolan nearly forced a steal but fouled Bamisile in the process, after which he made both his free throws. Adelekun managed to score in the post to make it 72-67, but it was too little too late and the Ramblers went on to fall 74-67. 

Poor 3-point shooting ultimately did the Ramblers in as they made just four of their 20 attempts from beyond the arc but were more successful inside shooting 41.7% overall. Meanwhile, VCU shot 60% from three and 44% overall. 

The Rams outrebounded Loyola 36 to 32 and finished with more assists at 12 to the Rambler’s 10. Loyola won the turnover game surrendering 10 while forcing 13 by VCU. 

The Ramblers return home Tuesday, Jan. 30 for the Jesuit Jam as they host Saint Louis University. First-tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. and fans can catch the game on NBC Sports Chicago+.

Featured image by Aidan Cahill | The Phoenix