Nice Try, but Loyola Falls again : College basketball: Lions again play a ranked team close but lose, this time to No. 24 Michigan State, 73-70

Apparently there is something about playing a nationally ranked team that brings out the best in Loyola Marymount.

A week after throwing a scare into 22nd-ranked Nevada Las Vegas, the Lions did the same thing Saturday night to 24th-ranked Michigan State before falling, 73-70, in the championship game of the L.A. Classic before a crowd of 3,882 at Gersten Pavilion.

“We played great again and came up short,” said Loyola Coach John Olive, whose team lost to UNLV, 84-80, on Dec. 5 at Gersten Pavilion. “We still made some bad decisions, but we’re coming. That’s a very talented basketball team we played.”

Loyola (2-2), after trailing by as many as 10 points in the second half, pulled within 69-65 on a three-point shot from the top of the key by forward Zan Mason with 2:22 left to play. But the Lions didn’t score again until 17 seconds were left, after Michigan State had opened a 72-65 lead.

The Spartans (3-1) made only four of 10 free throws in the last 4:06. They missed four one-and-one free throws during that stretch and did not score a field goal.

“We said it was going to be a tough game,” Michigan State Coach Jud Heathcote said. “We’re just pleased that we were able to hang in there. I think Loyola is going to be a good team in their league.”

Loyola opened a 10-0 lead and made its first eight shots. But the Lions made only 13 of 33 field-goal attempts in the second half and finished 28 of 62 for 45.2%.

Center Brian McCloskey led Loyola with 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting and Mason had 20 points and nine rebounds.

Michigan State guard Shawn Respert scored a game-high 28 points, including six three-point shots in 10 attempts. Center Mike Peplowski, the tournament’s most valuable player, had 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Peplowski, a 6-foot-10, 270-pound senior, and Respert combined for 15 of the Spartans’ last 20 points.

Loyola got its fans into the game early, making 11 of its first 14 shots to take a 23-17 lead.

McCloskey made his first six shots and scored 13 points during the surge.

A three-point shot by forward Robin Kirksey made it 26-20 with 8:31 left in the half, but after that Loyola turned cold from the field.