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.

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