Loyola Md Basketball – The Young Veteran

Game 10 of 37 – The Greyhounds edge The Mount 61-55

#gohounds #patriotmbb #MoveMountains #NECMBB

I missed the first six or so minutes of this game. Loyola isn’t the easiest place to get to, especially at one on a Saturday. And I have three kids under seven, so thats my excuse.

The game was very close throughout. Loyola seemed to have the lead most of the second half, before finally getting some distance in the last minute. Cam Spencer and Jaylin Andrews were basically all of the offense for Loyola. They combined for 45 of the 61 points. Spencer was constantly rubbing off the shoulders of his screeners, as he would catch a pass and curl into the lane for a mid range jumper. He isn’t the best athlete or quickest, but he understands angles and how to use his body to create space. Spencer had 26 points, four rebounds, two steals and was 12-12 from the foul line.

Andrews, a 6’4 186 combo guard, is utilized much like Spencer is by Coach Tavaras Hardy. By the way I love Hardy’s energy. He’s not afraid to let the refs hear him talk and he is very proactive in getting the student section involved. Back to Andrews now… Andrews was very effective getting in the lane. He has the handle and slithery like ability to get by his defender and finish at the rim. He’s a below the rim finisher, but who cares if you constantly get there like he did. Andrews was also very comfortable coming off screens or taking mid range pull ups. His three point shot is still inconsistent, as he went 0-5. He finished with 19 points.

Andrews with a hesitation dribble off of a screen

For The Mount they were a little more balanced. They just struggled to slow down Spencer and Andrews. The Mount had a huge advantage with size and athleticism. They just struggled to get there big guys involved and get them to finish in the paint. While I was most interested in their trio of senior big men… Nana Opoku, Mezie Offurum and Malik Jefferson, the two players that kept The Mount close with three point shooting was Deandre Thomas and Jalen Benjamin. Thomas was very solid shooting the ball. He went 5-9 overall, including 4-7 from three. He scored a team high 14 points, had four rebounds and two assists. Its a shame he was in foul trouble.

Benjamin was the steady point guard much needed for his squad. If they didn’t have him in they really struggled to get much going. He showed poise and an ability to set the offense. Benjamin had eleven points, three rebounds, two assists and two made three’s.

The trio of bigs struggled to finish. The advantage was there, but they just didn’t make shots. And surprise…. You have to make shots to win a game. I really like how they compliment each other on the court though. I will definitely keep following their progress as a team.

Up next for me is Towson @ Coppin State

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 14 & 15 – Saturday Doubleheader

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 14 & 15

Saturday Doubleheader

March 2 – Game 1 – New Hampshire vs UMBC

So, I was fortunate enough to get to sleep in before my big day of basketball. I slept until 10:30 or so. Now granted this was after I had already been woken up by my kids countless times, but the wife got up with them this time! My morning was pretty basic. I had some coffee, cinnamon toast crunch and a shower before I left for UMBC around 12:30. Tip-off was at 1 p.m. I arrived literally during player introductions. I am getting pretty good at timing things. Or so I think. See what happens later…..

This game was the last placed team in the America East, which is New Hampshire; against UMBC, who is battling for third place. UMBC was struggling all game long. A couple of journalists that were sitting next to me were expecting a 15-0 patented UMBC run. Well, they sure took their time to do so. New Hampshire went scoreless for like eight minutes mid way into the second half, to about the two minute mark. UMBC was down by as much as 18 at one point. Brandon Horvath, a slender 6’10 200 forward, led the charge. Horvath 13 points and made nine free throws to close the gap. The game was capped off by Jose Placer. Placer hit a game winning three with just 2.4 seconds left. Before that UMBC was 2-19 from three. During this span UMBC pressured New Hampshire and they had no answer. They turned the ball over 20 times and struggled to get into their offense. New Hampshire is a young squad and it showed. Leading the way for them was point guard Marque Maultsby. Maultsby had 15 points, four steals and four turnovers. Senior guard Jordan Reed had 10 points, five rebounds and three turnovers.

UMBC escaped in this one. They have been battling injuries all year, but the consistent senior Joe Sherburne was once again the main constant. Sherburne finished with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists.

After the game, I left as soon as I could. Of course it was raining. I believe it has during every trip to UMBC this year. I rushed home so I could eat some of the wife’s loaded bake potato soup. I had to pick up some sourdough bread on the way home. I stopped by Panera Bread and they were fresh out, so I went to Food Lion, which is closer to where I live. Objective complete. I got home and watched some of the UCF vs Houston game I had recorded. Then I ate some soup while watching some Kid’s Baking Championship with the family. I watched more of the UCF vs Houston game, then departed around 6:15 for the nightcap at Loyola MD.

Game 2 – Lehigh vs Loyola MD

So, I thought I would have plenty of time to get to this game. Remember earlier in the day I was thinking man I’m good at this timing thing…… Wrong. Loyola is located in the middle of Baltimore city. There is no easy way of getting there. Waze, my gps friend, took me right through the middle of downtown. I was supposed to arrive at 6:57 for the 7 p.m. tip. Well, I did arrive around that time. I had to park, then go to will call to pick up my credential. Needless to say, I walked in 25 seconds after the tip off. Objective not complete.

Lehigh came into the game looking to end the season tied at the top of the Patriot League standings. Loyola was trying to finish top eight. Well, Loyola played extremely well on senior night. They controlled the game from the start and won by a final of 92-73.

Lehigh was led by their normal trio of guards. The two seniors, Kyle Leufroy and Lance Tejada, combined for 30 points. Leufroy is a steady shooting guard that has the ability to play some point in small doses. He has a solid three-point jumper and is a good mid range shooter as well. Tejada likes to use his quickness to blow by defenders and cause chaos in the lane. He also has the ability to shoot from three. Junior point guard Jordan Cohen displayed his great vision all night. He is a knockdown shooter as well. Cohen finished with 16 points and four rebounds. Lehigh has a solid trio on the perimeter. They just lack overall size as a team. However, big man Nic Lynch did provide solid minutes in the paint. He had 13 points, twelve rebounds and three blocks.

For Loyola they also excel in guard play. Freshman Jaylin Andrews exploded for 21 points and hit five three-pointers. He will be a player to keep an eye on. He has good size and length at 6’4 for a shooting guard. Point guard Isaiah Hart delivered 18 points and seven assists. Hart cut his turnovers down this season and is going to be a factor for Loyola the next couple of years. The consistent Andrew Kostecka chipped in 19 points. Kostecka seems to shoot better with a hand in his face. Some guys are just like that. He is also a pest on defense. He uses his quickness and anticipation to disrupt passing lanes and ball handlers regularly.

Once the game was over I ran out a soon as possible. I went home and my kids were already put in bed. I got home around 9:45p.m. My kids keep waking up super early on the weekends, like 7 a.m. This is earlier than they wake up for school. Maybe we should let them stay up super late on the weekends…. Nah, sounds too risky. The rest of my night consisted of some IPA’s, leftover Chinese food, “Friends”, “This Is Us” t.v. show, finishing the UCF vs Houston game, watching some of the Saint Mary’s vs Gonzaga game and a little bit of the UFC fights. So, yeah I didn’t go to sleep until 2:30 a.m.!

Loyola Completes Late Comeback To Beat Lehigh 62-60

Baltimore, Md – In a pivotal matchup for seeding in the top half of the Patriot League, the Greyhounds provided a late run of efficient offense to hold off Lehigh and finish a 62-60 comeback. This was not the prettiest of games for either team on offense. Both teams struggled to get into any flow and the defenses played at a high level. It was a typical hard fought conference game towards the end of conference play. The scrappy and gritty play was a sight to see for two squads battling for the four spot in the Patriot League. Back to back conference player of the year Tim Kempton Jr. (6’10 245) struggled on both ends of the floor. The senior big man ended up fouling out in only 18 minutes of play. This was a huge factor in Lehigh’s struggles on the night. Junior point guard Andre Walker (6’0 170) broke out of his recent scoring slump and also scored a late layup with 27 seconds left, that proved to be the eventual game winner. Kahron Ross had two misses in the final twelve seconds that would have tied the game for Lehigh.

Lehigh (12-10, 6-5) could not rely on their pro prospect Tim Kempton in this game. Kempton could not use his low post scoring prowess or pick and pop versatility to provide any offense for Lehigh. This really limited them on the night. A couple of players that did step up for the Mountain Hawks were guards Kyle Leufroy (6’3 195) and Jordan Cohen (6’1 185). Leufroy, a powerfully built sophomore guard, used his body and aggressiveness to get in the lane and finish. He takes on contact well and is a solid below the rim finisher. Leufroy could have been more assertive on the night. He rarely had the ball in the final nine minutes, to the point where it was quite questionable. He was very efficient, scoring 6-9 field goals and seemed to get in scoring positions at will. Leufroy finished with 17 points and three rebounds. Cohen, a freshman guard, played solid defense on Walker early and was a spark on offense as well. Cohen did most of his damage in the first half scoring ten points. He gave high effort on defense and was a big factor in Lehigh holding a 30-29 halftime lead. He is a versatile defender and has potential to be a big contributor in the future once his playmaking skills improve. Cohen finished with 14 points, five rebounds and two assists.

For Loyola once again the story was the play of Andre Walker. He was in a bit of a struggle recently but this may be the game he needed to break out of it. Walker is a deadly three-point shooter and also has a solid isolation game to break down defenders on the perimeter. Walker struggled from three on the night going just 2-7, but contributed in other ways. The feisty guard led the entire game with nine rebounds and also made plays for his teammates garnering six assists. It has become clear that if Loyola will be successful and want to have a chance to make a run in the conference tournament, it will need Walker to score and set the offense. Walker finished with 19 points.

The other big contributors for Loyola were junior Cam Gregory (6’8 214) and senior Jarred Jones (6’6 205). Gregory is a high-energy post player. His skills are not the most refined in the post, but he makes it work with his relentlessness. Gregory finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Jones was a little out of touch on offense at times. He missed several mid range jumpers he normally knocks down and struggled with his decision making at times. He is still a threat on offense that opponents have to respect. Jones ended with 14 points, four rebounds and two assists.

In a game that was vital for positioning in the Patriot League the home team prevailed. This is huge in this conference because in the post season the higher seeded teams host the tournament games. This win for Loyola should be one to build on. For Lehigh this loss could be a crossroad for the rest of their season.

Up next for Lehigh is @ American on Saturday

Up next for Loyola is home vs Army on Saturday

Walker Fuels Loyola Md Past Boston U.

Baltimore, Md – Loyola Md held off a late Boston University run with several important late game free throws, closing the game with a final score of 77-69. Boston opened conference play on a five game winning streak sitting atop the Patriot League standings. Loyola has been a little inconsistent to say the least, and started play at 2-3. This game was different than many would have expected, even with Boston being on the road. Loyola got off to a great start and never looked back leading the entire game. The Greyhounds were led by sophomore point guard Andre Walker’s (6’0 170) 35 points, on 9-12 from the three point line. Walker was scorching hot and at one point was 9-10 from three. Conference leading Boston battled throughout, but ultimately came up short in the end. Boston was led by senior shooting guard Eric Fanning (6’5 215), who scored 27 points and chipped in 13 rebounds.

Eric Fanning did his best to keep his team close throughout, but when a team finishes shooting 1-18 from three it was a miracle they only lost by eight. Fanning, a solidly built guard, bullied his way to the basket overpowering his defender. Fanning has an array of isolation moves he uses to get into the lane, where he then uses his body and strength to get shots off at the rim. Fanning finished the game by going 13-15 from the free throw line. He has a knack for taking on contact and using his great body control to hang in the air and finish. He plays more like a point forward than just a guard. He sets the offense, as well as defends and rebounds at a high level. Fanning will be a candidate for Patriot League player of the year.

Other contributors for Boston were junior forward Nick Havener (6’8 225) who had 15 points and eight rebounds, and sophomore point guard Kyle Foreman (6’1 170) who finished with six points, four assists and three steals.

Andre Walker bested his previous career high of 31, by dominating the game from deep and scoring 35 points, on nine three pointers. Walker was shooting from NBA range. He came off screens, shot pull-ups and even on the move. When Walker released from the catch and shoot, it was as good as automatic on the night. Walker scored in bunches and forced Boston to blitz him when he had the ball on the perimeter. This really opened the entire floor up for his teammates. The scoring guard proved that he will be a deadly force from downtown for the rest of the Patriot League to keep tabs on.

Senior forward Jarred Jones (6’6 205) did not have the best game shooting or on offense in general. He struggled with his decision making and had a hard time knocking down open mid range jumpers. Jones found other ways to contribute though. He made and impact on defense and used his vision to set up his teammates when he knew it wasn’t his night to score. Jones may be Loyola’s most important player on the team, so him finding other ways to impact the game should provide dividends for the Greyhounds in the rest of conference play. Jones finished with 14 points, ten rebounds, eight assists, four steals and six turnovers.

The other main contributor for Loyola was junior power forward Cam Gregory (6’8 214). The long and slender, but physical forward was a force in the paint for the Greyhounds. Gregory was active on the boards, as well as on defense. He recorded a steal that led to a monstrous open floor dunk over a defender in the first half, which invigorated the student section. Gregory finished with 15 points, twelve rebounds and three steals.

Boston will not shoot this poorly from three for the rest of the season during a game. They came into the game at 38%, so shooting 1-18 is an absolute anomaly. Loyola will need to build on this win. They have a chance at being in the top half of this league and really need to become more consistent.

Up next for Boston is Colgate at home on Wednesday.

Up next for Loyola is at Bucknell on Wednesday.