Loyola Escapes With an 85-83 Victory

A funny thing happened to Loyola Marymount on the way to another routine 100-point game and blowout: a contest suddenly broke out in the second half.

The rapid shift in the game’s complexion seemed to surprise the Lions, who seemed to need most of the second half to overcome a determined comeback by the visiting University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Enoch Simmons’ free throws with 2 seconds left provided Loyola with the 85-83 victory before a crowd of 2,280.

The Lions raised their record to 5-4 despite being held to their lowest scoring half of the season, 32 points, after building what appeared to be a comfortable 53-40 halftime lead.

Lion Coach Paul Westhead said he wasn’t fooled by the halftime score. “I did not have a good feeling at the half,” he said. “I was very concerned going in--I expected a slow pace.”

It wasn’t too slow. Green Bay freshman guard Tony Bennett, son of the school’s coach, Dick Bennett, finished with 41 points on 16-of-20 shooting, 7 of 8 on 3-pointers.

In the matchup of the nation’s leading offense (114 points per game) against a top 10 defense (56.1), Loyola managed to force the pace most of the first half.

Things got strange for Loyola when the second half began. Green Bay held the Lions to 5 points in the first 7 minutes, kept the ball away from Gathers, who didn’t score again until the 14:18 mark, blanketed shooter Jeff Fryer, and took a 59-58 lead on another 3-pointer by Bennett with 13:20 left.

With 25 seconds left and Green Bay leading, 81-80, Fryer, heavily covered, spin-dribbled into the lane, made a one-hander and was fouled. His 3-point play gave Loyola a 83-81 lead. Green Bay came right back to tie on a short hook by forward Dean Vander Plas with 8 seconds left.

Simmons took off down court and drove wildly into the lane, where he appeared to lose control of the ball but managed to get a foul called with 2 seconds left.

Loyola’s Hank Gathers finished with 33 points. Fryer had 20 and Simmons 14.