Loyola Makes Gentile a “No Fly Zone” In Dayton Win

The Loyola men’s basketball team defeated the University of Dayton 76-72. Fourth-year guard Des Watson led the charge for the Ramblers scoring 22 points, while Dayton’s fourth-year forward Nate Santos recorded 18. 

Watson said the rivalry between the squads was a motivator coming into the game. 

“It affected it in a positive way, not really a negative way,” Watson said. “It’s just more fun. We’re just ready to play, ready to go to war against them. We don’t like them. They don’t like us.”  

Santos scored the first bucket of the game with a layup, before fourth-year guard Enoch Cheeks made two at the line after third-year guard Jayden Dawson received a technical foul for boasting after blocking a Santos layup attempt.

Following Cheek’s free throw attempts, an official timeout was called to recalibrate one of the nets which had come undone.

After the interruption, third-year guard Kymany Houinsou took a Dayton miss coast-to-coast for a layup and Loyola’s first points of the game. Second-year center Miles Rubin followed suit and put back a second-chance layup to tie it at four. 

Cheeks and Rubin traded jumpers before Rubin scored a tip-in layup, and first-year Flyer forward Amaёl L’Etang slammed a dunk to keep it even at eight at the first media timeout. 

Rubin added one at the line before Watson converted a turnaround jumper. Redshirt fourth-year Dayton guard Posh Alexander brought the Flyers within one after a successful trip to the line before another Watson jumper kept the Ramblers ahead 13-10. 

Fourth-year forward Jalen DeLoach made a jumper as third-year Flyer guard Javon Bennett sank a 3-pointer. Another three from third-year Dayton forward Jacob Conner and a wide-open dunk by L’Etang gave the Flyers a 19-15 advantage at a media timeout. 

Dawson found Rubin for an alleyoop dunk, which was replicated on the other side of the court by graduate Flyer forward Zed Key. Two consecutive jumpers from third-year guard Jalen Quinn and graduate guard Sheldon Edwards Jr. brought the score to an even 21, which was short-lived as Cheeks made a three on the other side of the court. 

The Ramblers crept ahead after a Watson jumper and a steal and layup by Quinn with just over four minutes left to play in the half. 

Watson took a steal all the way to finish a dunk. Cheeks answered with a jumper, which was immediately nullified on the next Loyola possession by a Quinn jumper. 

Cheeks and DeLoach traded jumpers before Dawson sank Loyola’s first three of the night. L’Etang answered with a three of his own, and a missed buzzer-beater from Alexander closed the first half at 34-31 in favor of the Ramblers. 

Rubin started the second half with an explosive dunk, followed by a L’Etang 3-pointer on the next possession. Watson and Cheeks exchanged layups, and Rubin completed a hookshot before Dayton forced a turnover on a shot clock violation. 

Edwards Jr. cooked up six points with three free throws alongside a 3-pointer. DeLoach recorded a block on the other side of the court, forcing the Flyers to call a timeout down 45-36. 

L’Etang stole the ball from Loyola and found Bennett for a layup. Watson drained a 3-pointer, and Dawson made a jumper before Santos converted three at the line after being fouled by Quinn during a 3-point attempt. 

Quinn and redshirt third-year Dayton guard Malachi Smith each made jumpers, and DeLoach added two at the line before draining a jumper of his own. Redshirt first-year Dayton forward Jaiun Simon drained a three before a minute-long drought, which was broken by a Santos layup to cut into the 56-48 Rambler lead. 

Another drought beset the court until Santos rebounded his own missed free throw and finished with a layup. Watson responded with a 3-pointer and Rubin sent back another block.

Santos made two at the line before DeLoach responded on the next possession. Santos kept the scoring gap tight with a jumper and inched the Flyers closer with a 3-pointer to make it a 61-57 game. 

Santos added two more at the line a minute later, which was canceled out by a Watson jumper. Bennett made his own jumper before Quinn added two at the line for a four-point advantage. 

Cheeks took a successful trip to the line before Edwards Jr. sank a three. Santos fouled out of the game — sending Gentile into a refrain of *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” — which allowed Houinsou to make one at the line. 

A Bennett layup brought Dayton within three, but Rubin and fourth-year forward Francis Nwaokorie each added one free throw to keep the Ramblers ahead by five. Bennett negated the previous points with a layup, making it 71-68. 

The final points of the game all came from free throws, as the Ramblers closed it out with five more points from Watson and Quinn, while the Flyers added four — with Smith as the lone scorer. Cheeks attempted a full-court buzzerbeater to end the game but missed, cementing the 76-72 Rambler win.

Head coach Drew Valentine said he was impressed with the crowd turnout, and how it helped the team pull off the win. 

“We don’t win at home without that home crowd tonight,” Valentine said. “We’re a hard team to beat here. I gotta give our guys credit because they continue to find ways to win.” 

The Ramblers stay in Gentile for their next game against George Washington University, Wednesday, Feb 6. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game can be streamed on Marquee Sports Network.