Men’s Basketball Struggles Offensively Against Northern Iowa

Loyola men’s basketball completed 17 of 57 shot attempts against the University of Northern Iowa during the first game of the Acrisure Series in Palm Springs, Calif. Nov. 25, providing their worst offensive performance this season. 

Northern Iowa’s redshirt third-year guard and forward Leon Bond III snagged a game high 20 points while third-year guard Deywilk Tavarez and first-year guard Chuck Love III tied for a Rambler high of nine. 

Fourth-year forward Joshua Ola-Joseph didn’t dress for the game today due to a non-serious injury, according to Scott Sudikoff of Rambler Sports Network. 

Despite winning the tipoff, the Ramblers weren’t able to finish a field goal until six and a half minutes in. During that period, the Panthers went on a 12-1 run with a layup, two at the line and a 3-pointer from Bond III, a three from fourth-year guard Max Weisbrod and two free throws from graduate forward Tristan Smith. Tavarez got the single point for the Ramblers at the line. 

Love III ended the long scoring drought for Loyola with a 3-pointer, which Weisbrod matched on the next Northern Iowa possession. Third-year Panthers forward Kyle Pock added another three to the board before graduate guard Dominick Harris completed one of his own. 

Pock and Northern Iowa’s fourth-year guard Trey Campbell each added a three before redshirt third-year guard Justin Moore scored his first points of the night with a driving layup. Moore followed up with a jumper on the next Loyola possession to make it a 24-11 game. 

Weisbrod added a three and first-year guard Nic Anderson was called for goaltending, giving Smith two more points. Fourth-year forward Alexander Richardson grabbed an offensive rebound and sent in the layup. 

Campbell hit a 3-pointer and Tavarez and Northern Iowa’s redshirt fourth-year guard and forward Ben Schwieger traded jumpers. Tavarez then sank a three to decrease Northern Iowa’s lead to 15. 

Bond III’s jumper was cancelled out by an Anderson three, only for Schwieger to come back and make a layup and Bond III to slam a dunk. Fourth-year guard Kymany Houinsou added two to the line to bring the Ramblers back. 

Smith and Love III traded threes and Pock made his buzzer-beater 3-pointer in time to send the teams into the half with Northern Iowa leading 45-26. 

The Ramblers repeated their first half struggles and didn’t score a point until five minutes into the second half. The Panthers started the second half on a seven-point run, five points credited to Bond III and one field goal from Smith. 

Moore opened the Rambler scoring with a layup. Just over a minute later, Pock and Love III traded 3-pointers. Another minute later, third-year center Miles Rubin got on the board with a jumper, decreasing the Panthers’ lead to 22 points. 

Smith and Rubin each added one at the line before a Rubin layup. Campbell’s three was cancelled out by a layup from second-year guard Daniil Glazkov and a Moore free throw, but Northern Iowa’s fourth-year forward Ismael Diouf brought it back with a three of his own. 

Rubin took a successful trip to the line before Campbell stole the Loyola possession to find an open Smith for a dunk, giving Northern Iowa the 64-41 advantage. 

A minute-long drought full of misses and turnovers harmed the teams before Bond III made one at the line and Campbell hit a jumper. The Ramblers — still in their drought — were saved by a Tavarez three. 

Bond III completed a three-point play, which second-year guard Kayde Dotson responded to with two free throws. Northern Iowa’s redshirt second-year guard RJ Taylor made two at the line before Dotson hit a layup with the Ramblers still trailing 72-48. 

A three from Dotson were the last points scored in the game, as Anderson’s final attempt at a layup was blocked. The Ramblers picked up their sixth consecutive loss with a 72-51 final score. 

Head coach Drew Valentine’s message from the previous game against Northern Illinois University about rebounding resonated with the team, as the Ramblers were able to pick up 43 rebounds compared to the Panthers’ 32. 

“Guys are playing hard,” Valentine said. “They’re competing, they’re flying in there, and that’s how we should look more often.” 

The Ramblers have less than a day to prepare for their next game of the Acrisure Series, facing San Jose State University Nov. 26. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. and can be streamed on CBS Sports Network or listened to on Rambler Sports Network.