A CAT scan Friday for Keir Rogers. A return to action by Keith Gailes. A good break from the schedule. And a new 1-2 punch. These are current Loyola basketball items.
Rogers, the team`s best all-around player, undergoes yet another exam Friday for the stress fracture that has sidelined him since the season opener and probably will cause him to become a medical redshirt and play his final season in 1991-92. Rogers averaged almost 17 points as a junior, led the team in rebounding and led the Midwestern Collegiate Conference in steals.
Help at last: A helpful schedule maker can be the best friend of a struggling basketball team. Loyola`s men`s and women`s teams may realize this in the next few days.
The men, greeting super scorer Gailes back to the lineup, put their 2-4 record on the line in Alumni Gym at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against Bethune-Cookman, which has a 1-8 record.
The women`s team (1-5) plays at Drake (1-8) Saturday and hosts Western Michigan (1-6) Thursday.
Another 1-2 punch: Loyola isn`t likely to regain its Gailes-Rogers punch, but what about Gailes matched with newcomer Hunter Atkins? Gailes, who averaged 26 points last year, says he`s ready to play against Bethune-Cookman. An ankle injury plus a one-game suspension limited Gailes, who averaged 39 minutes per game last year, to 60 minutes in six games this year. Hunter averaged 25 points in his first two college games, 26 versus Northwestern and 24 versus UIC. Wonder what the over/under will be on Gailes-Atkins total points against Bethune-Cookman`s defense.
1-2-3-4-5 punch: The women`s lone victory this season was 66-57 over Texas Christian, and it was No. 200 for coach Marty Hawkins. It featured almost perfectly even scoring balance among five players. Cindy Pruim and Stephanie Shink scored 10 points each. Sandy O`Shaughnessy, Shelly Zalas and Sherry Metz each scored nine points.
