Loyola Routs Eastern Michigan with a 76-54 victory

The Loyola men’s basketball team shot down Eastern Michigan University Dec. 3, claiming a 76-54 victory. Fourth-year guard Des Watson led both teams with 24 points, while third-year guard Christian Henry scored a team-high 21 points for the Eagles. 

The Eagles started the game with a layup by fourth-year forward Da’Sean Nelson. After being fouled on a drive to the rim, Watson made just one at the line. The Ramblers grabbed the lead over the Eagles after Watson dunked the ball. 

Third-year guard Jayden Dawson completed a layup and added the extra point after being fouled. Watson then converted a layup off a steal from the Eastern Michigan offense. Third-year guard Justin Moore added on with a jumper for a 10-2 lead at the first timeout. 

Watson made the first 3-pointer of the night before fourth-year forward Jalen DeLoach slammed the ball in the net. The Eagles went on a 7-0 run, with a free throw by Nelson, a midrange jumper and free throw by second-year guard Arne Osojnik and a 3-pointer by second-year guard Trey Pettigrew. 

Dawson broke the streak with a three, and Henry sent in a step-back jumper before a timeout was called with the Ramblers up 18-11. 

With 11 minutes left to play, fourth-year forward Francis Nwaokorie catapulted a 3-pointer. Henry responded with a three of his own after making one at the line. Watson picked up the momentum with another three before he and Nelson traded layups, putting the Ramblers ahead 26-20. 

After a three by Moore and a layup by Eastern Michigan’s fourth-year guard Cooper Smith, both teams went on a two-minute scoring drought until Nelson converted on two shots at the line for the Eagles. 

Following another two-minute drought, with multiple misses by both teams, graduate guard Sheldon Edwards Jr. hit a 3-pointer, giving the Ramblers a 32-24 lead. 

The Ramblers concluded the half on a 7-2 run with a 3-pointer by Nwaokorie, a dunk by second-year center Miles Rubin and a last-second jumper by Moore. Henry added two to the board with a jumper and the teams went into the break with a 39-26 Rambler advantage. 

Pettigrew opened scoring in the second half with a reverse layup. On the other side of the court, Rubin capitalized on a layup of his own. After being fouled by Nwaokorie, Nelson made two at the line for the Eagles. 

On the next consecutive possessions, Watson scored a layup, Nelson slammed a dunk and Dawson sent in a layup to bring the game to 45-32. 

Nelson added one at the line before Henry made a jumper. Moore converted on a jumper and Edwards Jr. completed a three-point play. After being fouled on a driving layup attempt, Watson made two at the line, extending the Loyola lead to 52-37. 

The Ramblers ended their own minute-long scoring drought, after Rubin made a bucket inside. After a 7-0 Loyola run — which included a dunk by Rubin, a 3-pointer by Nwaokorie and a jumper by Moore — Eastern Michigan called a timeout, down 63-41. 

After another timeout a minute later, Henry added four points for the Eagles with one at the line and a 3-pointer. In the same span, Watson added five with a three and two made free throws. Rubin tapped in a dunk just over a minute later before the final media timeout, giving the Ramblers a 70-45 lead. 

Henry capitalized on a three before a Nwaokorie dunk and a Edwards Jr. layup on consecutive possessions. Third-year guard Caleb Reese finished the night for the Ramblers, making two of three attempts on the line. Fourth-year Eastern Michigan forward Yusuf Jihad scored the final points with back-to-back threes, ending the game 76-54 with another Ramblers win. 

Head coach Drew Valentine said regardless of the Thanksgiving Break, the team was in the right mindset going into the game despite weak offensive play, with 17 turnovers, 13 steals against and 18 fouls. 

“For being off for 10 days, I thought our spirit was in the right spot,” Valentine said. “When you go home during your break, you’re expected to knock some rust off, and I thought that was what our 17 turnovers were tonight. I think why we were able to overcome that was because our competitiveness and our spirit was in the right place.” 

The Ramblers next take on the University of South Florida Dec. 7 in Gentile Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. and the game can be viewed on USA TV.