Ramblers Trip Against Low-Ranked Dukes

The Loyola men’s basketball team suffered their fifth conference loss 69-56 in their lone regular season matchup against Duquesne University Feb. 8. Fourth-year guard Des Watson led the Ramblers with 14 points, and fourth-year guard Tre Dinkins took charge for the Dukes with 12 points. 

The game started slow with a two-minute scoring drought, before Duquesne’s second-year forward Eli Wilborn scored the first points with a layup. Another brief drought followed before third-year guard Jayden Dawson drained a 3-pointer to get the Ramblers on the board. 

A steal and dunk by Watson put the Ramblers up by three before redshirt third-year guard Cameron Crawford made it a one-point game with a layup. 

Fourth-year forward Francis Nwaokorie and Duquesne’s fourth-year guard and forward Jahsean Corbett traded layups, and Nwaokorie added one at the line on the following play. A 3-pointer by third-year guard Jalen Quinn and a jumper from Dinkins made it 11-8 in favor of Loyola. 

Following a Dinkins free throw, second-year Duke forward Jakub Necas tied the game at 11 with a layup. Three consecutive layups from Corbett, third-year guard Kareem Rozier and redshirt third-year guard Maximus Edwards put the Dukes ahead. Second-year center Miles Rubin kept the Ramblers in the game with a slam dunk. 

A 3-pointer by Edwards was met with another Rubin dunk to keep a five-point gap between the teams. Two layups from Crawford and Necas increased the Dukes’ lead to 24-15. 

A Dawson layup was followed by a successful trip to the line by first-year guard Daniil Glazkov. The Ramblers momentum was briefly interrupted by a Dinkins 3-pointer, but graduate guard Sheldon Edwards Jr. hit back with a layup and a 3-pointer for a 27-24 game.

A fast break by Dusquesne set up a dunk for third-year forward Matúš Hronský to extend the lead by five. Despite another 3-pointer from Edwards Jr., a jumper by Dinkins and a three from Necas sent the Ramblers to the locker room down 34-27.

In a similar fashion to the first half, an early two-minute scoring drought occurred before Watson ended it with a jumper. A following dunk from Rubin and a Dawson layup put the Ramblers just within reach at 34-33.

Another two-minute scoreless stretch took over the court, with Watson hitting a 3-pointer to give Loyola the lead back. The two-point gap was short-lived, as Rozier hit a three on the Dukes’ next offensive possession.

Two quick point exchanges ensued — successful trips at the line by Dawson and Edwards, followed by layups from Rubin and Crawford, before Rozier hit a jumper to give Duquesne a 43-40 advantage.

Five minutes into the half, Watson snagged an offensive rebound and sent in a layup, with Crawford scoring one on the opposite end. Rubin ended the back-and-forth with a dunk.

Two Loyola straight offensive possessions were negated by strong defensive play by the Dukes — the first ending in a steal and fastbreak by Edwards, and the second ending after a defensive rebound and fullcourt drive with a layup finish by Corbett.

Watson hit a 3-pointer to close into the Dukes’ 49-47 lead before a minute and a half of scoreless play took place.

Third-year forward David Dixon slammed in a dunk for the Dukes, jumpstarting a salvo between the teams. A lone free throw from fourth-year forward Jalen DeLoach was met by a layup from Dixon, while Edwards Jr. and Necas exchanged threes.

Third-year guard Kymany Houinsou scored four points in quick succession — two free throws and a tipped-in layup — while Dinkins had a successful trip to the line and Dixon sank a 3-pointer to extend the Dukes’ lead to 61-55.

The Dukes ran away in the final three minutes of the game for the final 69-56 scoreline, with Dinkins hitting a jumper, Crawford converting a 3-pointer and Dixon recording a dunk and a lone free throw. Hoiunsou’s free throw just inside the minute mark was the final point of the night for the Ramblers.

Head coach Drew Valentine said the team’s plan moving forward is to right the ship.

“It’s disappointing because we were coming off two solid wins and playing well,” Valentine said. “But if we keep perspective and get our mentality right, we will bounce back. I still love coaching these guys and believe in what they can do.”

The Ramblers will look to improve their meager .500 road record when they travel to Richmond, Va. to face off against the University of Richmond Spiders. The game is set for a 6 p.m. start and can be streamed on ESPN+.