Jan. 4, 2007

Box Score | Quotes

CHICAGO - Playing without three of its regulars, including leading scorer Blake Schilb, Loyola University Chicago (10-5, 2-1 Horizon) turned in a superb defensive effort to earn a 66-55 victory over Cleveland State (6-10, 0-3 Horizon) tonight at the Gentile Center. The Ramblers have now won the last 10 meetings with the Vikings.

Majak Kou scored nine of Loyola's first 15 points, but Cleveland State clung to a 16-15 lead with 10:17 left in the first half before Leon Young's lay-up ignited a 14-0 Rambler run that turned the one-point deficit into a 29-16 lead. Loyola's stingy defense held the Vikings without a field goal for nearly ten minutes in the first half before Kevin Francis hit a three-pointer with 1:34 left in the period.

The Ramblers built on their 34-23 halftime lead by opening the second half with a 7-3 run that saw the edge grow to 41-26, the largest of the night, at the 17:52 mark. From there however, Cleveland State scored 16 of the next 18 points in the game to slice the Rambler advantage to a single point, 43-42. Loyola answered with an 11-4 run of its own to stake claim to a 54-46 lead and CSU would get no closer than three points the rest of the way.

Kou, who was coming off of a career-best 30-point effort at Youngstown State last Saturday, scored a team-high 18 points and added four rebounds, three blocks and a pair of assists. J.R. Blount tallied 17 points, three assists and matched a career high with a half dozen boards, while Tracy Robinson, who started in place of the injured Schilb, netted 10 points.

Cleveland State, which was held to 30 percent shooting from the field, was paced by Joe Davis' 18 points.

Loyola is back in action when it hosts UW-Milwaukee Saturday at 3 p.m.