Loyola Stops Notre Dame’s Streak at 11

The streak is over.

Notre Dame High’s 11-game winning streak came to an end Thursday night with a 73-67 Mission League loss against host Loyola.

The emotional game got out of control on three occasions, when fists flew and the benches emptied.

With 4 minutes 11 seconds to play, Notre Dame’s Glen Carson and Loyola’s Ryan Bailey were fighting for a loose ball, then they started simply fighting.

The benches emptied and both players were ejected.

Notre Dame (15-4, 6-1 in the league) drops into a tie for first place with Loyola (14-3, 6-1).

Bishop Montgomery, which did not play Thursday because of final exams, is a half game behind at 5-1.

Loyola Junior Toby Bailey led all scorers with 24 points, including 14 in the decisive fourth quarter.

Notre Dame was led by Monte Marcaccini, who scored 18 points.

The Knights, ranked third in the area by The Times, had the lead for most of the game. But Loyola’s pressure finally got to the Knights.

Notre Dame, which did well to move the ball quickly through the Cubs’ press in the first three quarters, began throwing it away.

Two key turnovers helped Loyola gain a more comfortable lead.

Loyola led, 58-57, with three minutes to play, when Toby Bailey hit two free throws to give the Cubs a three-point lead. Notre Dame inbounded the ball, but point guard Craig Johnson threw it right into Bailey’s hands, then fouled him. Bailey made two free throws to push the lead to 62-57 with 2:36 left.

Less than a minute later, Loyola led, 64-60, after a jump shot by Marcus Kaufman. On Notre Dame’s inbounds play, Corey Woods had a steal and layup, giving Loyola a 66-60 lead with 1:31 to play.

The game began with the same intensity with which it ended. Midway through the first quarter, Marcaccini was fouled going up for a dunk. A shoving match that drew both coaches onto the floor followed.

Once the teams returned to basketball, Notre Dame held the lead by doing a good job controlling the tempo and avoiding turnovers.

A seldom-used weapon, the three-pointer, also helped.

The Knights, not known for their long-range bombing, trailed, 14-10, late in the first quarter, but took a lead by making three consecutive three-point shots, two by Carson and one by Johnson off an inbounds pass at the buzzer.

Notre Dame made five three-pointers in the first half.

Notre Dame pushed the lead to as many as 11 points, but Loyola fought back with an 8-0 run that was capped by Toby Bailey stealing the ball from Marcaccini and dunking it with 1:27 to play in the half. The Knights took a 33-28 lead into the locker room.

Notre Dame built the margin back to 40-30 early in the second half, but Loyola fought back, finally drawing even at 47-47 when Bailey hit a three-pointer with 6:08 to play.

With 1:12 to play, the third altercation occurred. Johnson made a three-pointer to cut Loyola’s lead to 66-63 and got into a shoving match with a Loyola player. Players from both benches charged onto the floor but the officials quickly restored order.