Maybe there is something to this Loyola madness in the first round of Midwestern Collegiate Conference tournaments.
Two years ago, the seventh-seeded Ramblers upset St. Louis in the opening round, then last year, seeded sixth, they did it again, topping Butler.
Thursday night at the Riverfront Coliseum, it was Dayton`s turn to experience these pests from Chicago.
Behind the brilliant play of Keir Rogers (23 points) and Eric Dolezal
(19), the fifth-seeded Ramblers toppled No. 4 Dayton 83-73 to earn a semifinal shot Friday night against top-seeded Evansville (22-5).
”We started well this season (7-2) and then lost some close games, and it would have been so easy for these guys to quit,” Loyola coach Will Rey said before the tournament. ”But they stayed focused, and rather than concentrating on our win-loss record, they were more concerned about improving and getting ready for the tournament.”
The Ramblers (13-15) couldn`t have been more ready than Thursday night.
They stormed to a 52-37 lead with 11 minutes 15 seconds remaining, then withstood an onslaught of Dayton three-pointers to send the Flyers home 15-15. A three by Alex Robertson (19 points) pulled Dayton within 66-60 with 3:40 to play, and a foul underneath on the play gave the Flyers a shot at a five-point play. But Chip Hare missed the second free throw, and after a three by Derrick Dukes trimmed the margin to 69-66, Loyola made eight free throws down the stretch.
For the game, the Ramblers made 32 free throws as four of Dayton`s five starters fouled out.
Loyola executed its game plan to perfection in the first 20 minutes, opening a 35-27 lead.
Once the Ramblers surged in front, they ran the shot clock, and their swarming zone defense held the 7-0 Coffee and 6-10 Hare in check until Hare broke loose for six points down the stretch.
Coffee hit a rare three-pointer, just his second in five chances this season, to give the Flyers a 3-2 lead, but Don Sobczak responded with a three of his own for Loyola, and Rogers nailed a trey for an 8-3 Rambler lead.
They stretched it to 13-4 with 14:08 left in the half on a Rogers free throw before Dayton went on a 12-6 spurt behind a bucket by Hare, threes from Robertson and Sean Scrutchins, a basket by Dukes and a rebound hoop by Makor Shayok.
The Flyers got within two at 23-21 on a free throw by Dukes with 5:47 when Loyola scored seven straight.
First Rogers drilled a jumper, Hunter Atkins followed with a reverse layup off a great feed from Rogers and Sobczak canned a three-pointer with :01 on the shot clock and 3:47 to go in the half for a 30-21 lead.
Hare got free inside to score Dayton`s last six points of the half, but the Ramblers were able to hold an eight-point lead going into the locker room behind a free throw and basket from Kerman Ali and a fastbreak basket by Dolezal.
Dolezal, Rogers, Sobczak and Russell Wilson had six points each for Loyola. Hare had eight for Dayton.
The Ramblers raised their lead to 52-37 with 11:15 left in the game.
Dayton closed within 41-34 on a rebound basket by Al Sicard, but Loyola retaliated with an 11-3 run, capped by two free throws from Dolezal.
In the opener, Butler ripped Detroit Mercy 87-70 for its first victory in the 13 years of the tournament. Darin Archbold led the way with 26 points as the Bulldogs (20-8) geared up for a Friday showdown against second-seeded Xavier (15-11) with their fourth straight win.
”He makes every open shot,” Xavier coach Pete Gillen said of Archbold, who was 9 of 14 from the field, including 6 of 8 from three-point range.
The 6-5 senior guard scored 15 points in the first half as the Bulldogs took a commanding 48-33 lead. Coach Barry Collier was able to rest his star 10 minutes as Butler never allowed Detroit to get any closer than nine points in the second half.
Dwayne Kelly led Detroit (12-17) with 30 points.
