Jan. 7, 2008

Box Score | Quotes

CHICAGO - Matt Howard scored a game-high 19 points to lead No. 14 Butler (14-1, 3-1 Horizon) to a 66-55 victory over Loyola University Chicago (5-10, 1-4 Horizon) tonight at the Gentile Center. The loss snaps the Ramblers' three-game home winning streak.

Butler, which hit nine three-point field goals on the night, started the game on a 14-2 run before J.R. Blount keyed a 13-5 Loyola run that closed the gap to 19-15. From there, the Bulldogs never led by more than nine points the rest of the half and took a 29-21 advantage into the locker room.

The Ramblers fell behind 35-23 just 90 seconds into the first half before Tracy Robinson ignited a 9-0 run that he later capped with a three-pointer, to bring the hosts within three points. The teams essentially exchanged baskets for the next five minutes until Howard scored seven points in a decisive 10-3 run that gave Butler a 50-40 lead and Loyola would never get closer the rest of the way.

Blount tallied a team-high 16 points to lead Loyola, while Andy Polka chipped in 14 points, which is one shy of his career high, and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. Justin Cerasoli tallied 12 points and equaled a personal best with seven boards as the Ramblers won the battle on the glass, 31-28.

Mike Green tallied 15 points and handed out six assists to complement Howard's 19-point performance.

Loyola, which has dropped three straight games, is back in action Saturday, Jan. 12 when it travels to UIC.