Loyola Finally Comes Home to Win

After opening the season with 10 consecutive road games, Loyola Marymount returned to Gersten Pavilion Saturday and picked up where it left off last season, scoring a 126-111 victory over St. Joseph’s before an estimated crowd of 2,200.

Loyola’s point total was a record against the Philadelphia school and the first time since January, 1976, that St. Joseph’s has surrendered 100 or more points. The Hawks fell to 1-7 and lost their sixth in a row. Loyola has won 10 consecutive games in Gersten going back to last winter.

The Lions improved to 4-7 and put together their first two-game win streak of the season behind 30 points and a school-record 18 assists from Terrell Lowery, who was playing on a sore right foot injured in Thursday’s game at Pacific.

Lowery scored 20 points in the second half, when the Lions took control. Many of his assists went to Craig Holt, who scored a career-high 26 points, hitting eight three-point shots. Other effective players were John O’Connell with 17 points, Rahim Harris with 13 and Ross Richardson with nine, all in reserve roles.

The Lions trailed for much of the first half, falling behind by 10 points in the opening minutes.

But with Holt hitting his first five three-point attempts, Loyola put on a 17-6 spurt in the final five minutes of the period to take a 59-55 halftime lead, with Holt scoring 17 points. Loyola hit 10 of 14 three-point shots to offset St. Joseph’s 62% shooting.

Loyola quickly built its lead to double figures after the half and withstood several spurts by St. Joseph’s, which was led by freshman Bernard Blunt with 36 points.