Nov. 1, 2008

Box Score

CHICAGO - A stingy defensive effort helped Loyola University Chicago earn a 65-57 victory over Robert Morris College in an exhibition contest at the Gentile Center tonight. The first contest of any kind for either team this season featured a combined 44 turnovers, 23 of which were forced by the Rambler defense.

The teams played a back-and-forth affair in the opening 20 minutes, as neither squad led by more than five points. A pair of free throws by Loyola guard Justin Cerasoli helped snap a 25-25 tie and the Ramblers maintained a slim two-point edge at the intermission, 31-29.

Loyola seemed to get more in sync on offense as the game went on as the team improved its marksmanship to 43 percent accuracy from the field in the second period, while holding Robert Morris to 12 of 36 shooting (.333).

Reggie Bunch's tip-in with 15:17 remaining in the game gave the Eagles a 37-35 lead, but Loyola countered with a 10-3 run, capped by a J.R. Blount three-pointer, over the next five minutes to open up a 45-40 advantage.

Robert Morris closed to within a point, at 56-55, with 1:43 left to play, but the Ramblers stemmed the tide and scored nine unanswered points over the next 1:33 to open up a comfortable ten-point lead.

Blount scored a game-high 21 points and snagged seven rebounds to lead Loyola, while Cerasoli chipped in 14 points and Darrin Williams added 10 points and nine rebounds.

Loyola will open up its 2008-09 season on Nov. 14 when it hosts Rockhurst.