Men’s Basketball Dominates in Senior Night Finale

The Loyola men’s basketball team celebrated Senior Night March 5 with a 82-72 victory over Davidson College. Fourth-year guard Des Watson, fourth-year forwards Francis Nwaokorie and Jalen DeLoach and graduate guard Sheldon Edwards Jr. were all honored prior to the game. 

While playing his final game in Gentile Arena and scoring a season-high 22 points, Edwards Jr. became the record holder for most 3-pointers made in a single season at Loyola. 

Edwards Jr. said he’s proud of himself for reaching this milestone and wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of his team. 

“They’ve been pushing me to get it for a couple weeks now,” Edwards Jr. said. “I always kind of pride myself on being a Rambler and a Loyola guy, so for me to have my name on the list with other Loyola guys who’ve been here and done it, that means the world to me as well.” 

Davdison’s second-year forward Bobby Durkin dropped in a layup to score the first points of the game which were  immediately cancelled out by 3-pointers from third-year guard Jayden Dawson and Edwards Jr. 

Durking responded with a three of his own while Dawson and Edwards Jr. continued to score with a layup and 3-pointer on the next two Loyola possessions to bring it to 11-5. 

Watson made a layup but failed to convert an extra point before third-year Davidson forward Reed Bailey — leading scorer for the Wildcats with 19 points — made one at the line. Edwards Jr. drained two more 3-pointers to break the 3-pointer record, along with a block by second-year center Miles Rubin, forcing a Davidson timeout up 19-6. 

Rubin brought down an alley-oop from Nwaokorie which fifth-year Wildcat guard Connor Kochera evened with a layup. A minute later, Davidson’s first-year guard Roberts Blums and Durkin each made 3-pointers to narrow the Rambler lead to seven.

After Nwaokorie made two at the line, third-year guard Kymany Houinsou stole the ball and found Dawson for a three. Bailey shot a layup following a travel by third-year guard Jalen Quinn at 26-16. 

DeLoach made his only point of the game at the line after being fouled by Bailey, who scored a layup on the next possession. Blums and Dawson traded threes, prompting a solo four-point run by Houinsou for a Rambler 34-21 lead. 

The Wildcats ended the first half on a 12-3 run with a dunk by Durkin alongside layups by second-year guard Hunter Adam, Bailey, first-year forward Manie Joses and two from Kochera. A three-point play by Houinsou was the only score for the Ramblers in the final first half stretch, as the teams went into the break tied at 37. 

The first three minutes of the second half were led by Bailey and Houinsou, as they were each the lone scorers for their respective teams during the stretch. Bailey opened the half with a jumper and three free throws, while Houinsou made three layups and two free throws to put Loyola up 45-42. 

Watson got in on the action with a jumper but was negated by Bailey’s two free throws. Houinsou — en route to a career-high 19 points — made a layup but failed to convert on the and-one opportunity. He recovered with a dunk on the next possession. 

Dawson drained a three and Watson hit a jumper before Kochera’s layup was canceled out by a Quinn layup. Edwards Jr. completed a four-point play after being fouled mid-three, giving the Ramblers a 62-46 lead. 

The Wildcats gained ground after Laput and Blums each made a three, but a Watson three and Rubin three-point play kept the scoring margin stable at 73-57. 

The Ramblers added four points to the board with an Edwards Jr. three and one at the line by Nwaokorie, while Bailey finished a layup for the Wildcats. A three-minute drought concluded with a controversial goaltending call against Watson, which was reviewed and overturned, setting up Kochera to make two at the line for a 77-61 Loyola lead. 

Davidson ended the game on a 11-5 run with a Kochera layup, three-point plays by Adam and Bailey and a 3-pointer by Durkin, while Rubin made a dunk and Edwards Jr. drained a 3-pointer in response. 

Before the clock ran out, head coach Drew Valentine subbed out the graduating players, leaving the court at Gentile for the last time with an 82-72 victory in tow. 

With the victory, the Ramblers complete another 20-win season — their seventh in the last eight seasons — and end with 16 home wins, the most since the 1965-1966 season. 

Valentine said the win was significant because of the upcoming tournament, and acknowledged the team’s consistency despite difficulties playing at away games. 

“I think sustained success is the hardest thing to do in sports,” Valentine said. “In this day and age, for us to have the success that we’ve had year after year, I think that just speaks to our culture and how much this place means to the guys that are here.” 

The Ramblers play their final regular season game against the University of Massachusetts Saturday, March 8. Tipoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m., and the game can be streamed on USA Network.