February 14, 2007 - Loyola 95 Rider 73
February 14, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Men’s College Basketball
Loyola College 95, Rider University 73
Baltimore, Md.--The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference at Loyola Wednesday night. “We never got into a good flow tonight,” said head coach Tommy Dempsey.
Holding a 61-47 lead, Loyola (15-11, 11-5 MAAC) went on an 11-3 run, eight points by Marquis Sullivan, to take a 72-51 lead with 10 minutes left to play. Sullivan finished with a game-high 24 points, making six three-pointers.
Loyola made 13 three-pointers, nine in the first half, to tie a team record. “We couldn’t guard them,” Dempsey said.
Loyola scored the first 10 points of the second half, five points by senior Josko Alujevic, to take a 55-37 lead with 17:00 left to play. Playing in his final home game, Alujevic finished with 23 points. “Alujevic took it to us tonight,” Dempsey said. “We didn’t have a match for him defensively.”
Trailing 41-23, Rider (14-12, 8-8 MAAC) out-scored Loyola 10-0, four points by junior Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape), to cut the lead to 41-33, and Loyola led 45-35 at half time. Thompson finished with 18 points.
For Rider, senior Terrance Mouton (Lafayette, LA/Acadiana) scored 18 points and junior Kam Warner (Pleasantville) scored 13 points off the Rider bench. “Kam came in and gave us good energy,” Dempsey said. “We needed some life and he came in and gave it to us.”
Holding a 14-13 lead mid-way through the first half, Loyola went on a 17-3 run, six points by Brett Harvey, to take a 31-16 lead with 6:00 left in the first half. Harvey made five three pointers, four in the first half, and finished with 19 points.
“For some reason we didn’t have our legs tonight,” Dempsey said. “We were a step slow from start to finish.”
Loyola’s Gerald Brown, the MAAC’s leading scorer (21.6), was not dressed for the game. “We didn’t change our game plan because he wasn’t playing,” Dempsey said. “They just hit a lot of tough shots.”
Rider hosts Murray State Saturday evening in the fifth annual O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters at 7:00 pm. Rider’s lone senior, Terrance Mouton, will be honored before the opening tip.
-RU-
