Loyola Struggles Offensively in 79-72 Win Against Chicago State 

The Loyola men’s basketball team defeated Chicago State University 79-72 Monday, Nov. 4 in a tough offensive battle. Third-year guard Jayden Dawson led the Ramblers with 20 points, while third-year Cougar guard Gabe Spinelli racked a team high of 13 points for Chicago State. 

The Ramblers started the game hot after winning the tip off. Third-year guard Justin Moore drove through the paint for a layup to take an early 2-0 lead. Fourth-year guard Des Watson added two more points for the Ramblers after finishing a reverse layup. 

Second-year center Miles Rubin recorded his first and only block of the night, deflecting a shot from Chicago State’s third-year guard Saxby Sunderland. A missed 3-pointer from Dawson preceded a missed dunk by Watson, which was rebounded and slammed home by Rubin for a 6-0 lead. 

Fourth-year Chicago State forward Cameron Jernigan opened the scoring for the Cougars three minutes in, sinking a 3-pointer to halve the Loyola lead. Fourth-year Chicago State forward Noble Crawford tied the game at six after making a three of his own. 

Down the court, Rubin made a layup to regain a short-lived lead for the Ramblers as Crawford made another 3-pointer on the next possession and put the Cougars up one. 

Both teams went on a three-minute scoring drought before third-year Cougar guard Jalen Forrest hit a jumper for a three-point lead on the Ramblers. Third-year guard Jalen Quinn responded with a layup to keep Chicago State’s lead to one. 

Dawson was sent to the free-throw line after a timeout was called on the floor and made both for another lead change at 12-11. Chicago State quickly answered with another 3-pointer by Crawford to put the Cougars back ahead. 

Down 15-12, Dawson took a chance and flew through the air, slamming the ball home to an erupting Gentile Arena crowd with 10 minutes left to play in the half. 

Crawford and Jernigan scored on the following Chicago State possessions, leaving the Ramblers down 19-14. Fourth-year forward Jalen DeLoach made a slam dunk and a step back jumper to bring Loyola within two. 

After making three rebounds, DeLoach was sent to the line after being fouled by Crawford and made one for a 20-19 deficit. Another scoring drought with multiple misses by both teams occurred before Forrest and third-year Chicago State forward Quincy Allen added five points with a layup and 3-pointer. 

Watson and fourth-year forward Francis Nwaokorie each made a layup before Spinelli slammed the ball to maintain the four-point advantage. Watson scored a turnaround jumper and Dawson made a basket to tie the game at 27. 

Third-year Cougar guard Matthew Robinson Jr. broke the tie with a 3-pointer. On the next possession, DeLoach was fouled and made both at the line, bringing the game within one once again. 

First-year Chicago State guard Troy McKoy Jr. increased the Cougar lead with a three before Watson was fouled on a 3-pointer attempt and sank all three free throws. Dawson brought the lead back to the Ramblers and made a jumper with a minute left to play.

Dawson made a buzzer-beater 3-pointer to end the half — the first the Ramblers were able to capitalize on the whole game. Loyola went into the locker room up 37-35. 

Spinelli opened scoring in the second half with a reverse layup to tie the game. Moore responded with a layup of his own and was fouled in the process, earning an extra point at the line. 

Dawson’s 3-pointer streak continued as he sank another one. After just under a minute of no scoring, Sunderland made a lone free throw after being fouled by DeLoach for a 43-38 game.

Another 3-pointer from Dawson went in before Jernigan scored on a jumper. Moore faked a layup and sent the ball to Watson, who made the shot from beyond the arc and gave Loyola a nine-point advantage at 49-40. 

Quinn added two more at the free-throw line before Allen made two consecutive stepbacks for the Cougars. Quinn went back to the line and gave Loyola a more comfortable lead at 53-44, while Robinson Jr. capitalized on a 3-pointer to disrupt Loyola’s flow. 

Nwaokorie was fouled during a dunk attempt and made one at the line, followed by a layup by Moore after a missed three from Dawson. Sunderland added two more for the Cougars at the free-throw line to make it 58-49 in favor of the Ramblers. 

Graduate guard Sheldon Edwards Jr. scored his first points of the night after making a 3-pointer and keeping the Ramblers ahead by 10. Multiple misses came from both sides until Quinn halted the drought with a jumper. 

Allen and Spinelli each scored 2-point buckets for the Cougars. Spinelli then went on to make a lone free throw and another layup, closing the gap to 67-58. 

Moore and Spinelli traded buckets for a 71-60 Rambler lead before a timeout was called on the floor. During the timeout, an earlier layup by Moore originally called for defensive goaltending against the Cougars was overturned, taking two points off the scoreboard for the Ramblers, now ahead 69-60. 

Moore immediately regained the lost points after finishing a layup, and McKoy Jr. answered with a jumper to try to close the Loyola lead. After consecutive fouls on the court by Quinn and Sunderland, three timeouts were called on the floor within the last minute of play. 

On two trips, Quinn added three points while Watson and Moore added two each. Sunderland added four to the Cougar board while Spinelli failed to capitalize on an and-one opportunity. 

With eight seconds remaining, Sunderland attempted to close the gap further with an unsuccessful 3-pointer, ending the game with a 79-72 Rambler win. 

Head coach Drew Valentine said he was optimistic about the second half of the game, even after the first-half struggle and the tough Chicago State play, and said there were some changes he hopes the team can adjust to. 

“I do think shot selection needs to be better with this group,” Valentine said. “I think understanding when to be aggressive and when to not be aggressive is something that come with playing for me.” 

The Ramblers resume play Thursday, Nov. 7 against University of Detroit-Mercy in Gentile Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.