Men’s Basketball Dominates Tulsa to Stay Undefeated

The Loyola men’s basketball team defeated the University of Tulsa 89-53 Nov. 23. Fourth-year guard Des Watson led scoring with 19 points, while Tulsa’s graduate guard Dwon Odom led the Golden Hurricanes with 10 points. 

Two minutes after Tulsa won the tipoff, first-year forward Ian Smikle made a layup before Loyola went on a 7-0 run, with shots credited to Watson and third-year guard Jayden Dawson. Third-year Golden Hurricane guard Isaiah Barnes ended the run after finishing a layup. 

Third-year guard Jalen Quinn and Barnes were fouled on consecutive possessions, each adding two to the board for their teams. Second-year center Miles Rubin added one during a  trip to the line before a timeout was called on the floor. 

Tulsa’s third-year guard Braeden Carrington and second-year guard Tyshawn Archie worked together to take the lead for the Golden Hurricanes with a 3-pointer and a layup. The advantage was short-lived as third-year guard Kymany Houinsou, Rubin and Dawson combined for another seven-point run to go up 19-13 before a media timeout. 

The Ramblers went on another 7-0 run — off a free throw from Rubin, a three-point play by Quinn and a Watson 3-pointer — to give Loyola a 26-15 advantage with six minutes left in the first half. 

In the next four minutes, Tulsa outscored Loyola 11-10, with four at the line from graduate guard Keaston Willis and Carrington, two jumpers by Odom and a 3-pointer by Barnes.

On the other side of the court, Watson and graduate guard Sheldon Edwards Jr. each made a 3-pointer, while third-year guard Justin Moore and Houinsou scored on respective layups for a 10-point Rambler advantage.

Loyola ended the half with a six-point run after Quinn made four in two trips to the line and Houinsou slammed the ball home, putting the Ramblers up 42-27. 

Moore got things started in the second half with a jumper, followed by two Carrington free throws. Moore converted on a three-point play to give the Ramblers a 20-point advantage over the Golden Hurricanes. 

With just over 13 minutes remaining, Dawson soared past the Tulsa defense and through the air, slamming the ball into the net. Another dunk followed a minute later after Moore found Rubin under the net, extending the 57-33 Rambler lead and forcing a Golden Hurricane timeout. 

Second-year Tulsa forward Matt Read and Moore traded layups to maintain the 14-point gap, before Dawson added on with a layup. Rubin and Watson added four with a jumper and a dunk to keep the lead in the Ramblers’ hands at 65-39. 

Watson and Dawson made 3-pointers on consecutive possessions while second-year Tulsa guard Tyshawn Archie made two at the line on the other side of the court. Watson went on a five-point run scoring a layup and a three to make it 76-43 with seven minutes remaining. 

Edwards Jr. and Quinn scored on back-to-back possessions while first-year Tulsa guard Jaye Nash shot two at the line. Quinn took his turn at the line after being fouled by Nash and made one. First-year guard Danill Glazkov made a layup before a timeout was called on the floor with the Ramblers ahead 83-47. 

Within three minutes, Edwards Jr. hit another 3-pointer while third-year Tulsa guard Jesaiah McWright and Odom sent in jumpers before the final timeout was called. 

Out of the break, Edwards Jr. earned control of the ball and made a layup. Second-year Golden Hurricane forward Tyler Behrend made a layup of his own before first-year guard Seifeldin Hendawy converted the final point of the night at the line, securing the 89-53 victory for Loyola. 

Watson said the team has developed a hunger this year, driving them to dominate a team who defeated them 88-77 last season. 

“We knew we had to get started early in preseason and we just locked in,” Watson said. “They said a little stuff last year — they told us to go back home to Chicago. So we had that grudge and we were ready to send them back to Oklahoma.” 

Head coach Drew Valentine said he believed the atmosphere in Gentile Arena helped bring the team the win, compared to the game at Tulsa last season, as well as the familiarity Loyola had with the returning Golden Hurricanes.

“I think our atmosphere is second to none,” Valentine said. “When we get to play in front of our fans and in our atmosphere, we feed off that crowd.” 

The Ramblers play their next game in Gentile Arena against Eastern Michigan University Dec. 3, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The game can be streamed on Marquee Sports Network or ESPN+.