Box Score

ATLANTA, Ga. (March 22, 2018) - 

In Short…
Marques Townes scored a team-high 18 points as 11^th-seeded Loyola University Chicago (31-5) held off seventh-seeded Nevada (29-8), 69-68, in a South Region Semifinal of the NCAA Tournament this evening at Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Ga.  With the win, the Ramblers have clinched their first Elite Eight berth since the 1962-63 season. 
 
How It Happened
Cameron Krutwig looked to spark the Loyola offense with a pair of early baskets, the second of which knotted the score up at 4-4 with 90 seconds gone.  A layup by Jordan Caroline laid the groundwork for an 8-0 Wolfpack run that sent Nevada in front, 12-4, and forced a Loyola timeout with 15:35 to play.  Caleb Martin knocked down a contested three to give Nevada its largest lead of the evening, 20-8, two minutes later.
 
A strong take by Townes chipped the margin down to six, 20-14, at the 10:58 mark.  With the Wolfpack lead sitting at 24-16, Custer knocked down the Maroon & Gold's first three of the evening to pull Loyola to within five, 24-19.  Custer came away with a steal and score with 2:57 remaining to cut the Nevada advantage to just one, 24-23.  Two makes at the free throw line by Townes gave the Ramblers their first lead of the night, 25-24, shortly after.  Townes added a corner three as the shot clock expired to punctuate a half-ending 14-2 run as Loyola raced into the locker room on top, 28-24, after holding Nevada scoreless for the final 7:55 of the first half.
 
Following an early score by Cody Martin, Loyola erupted for an 8-0 spurt, with Townes and Richardson contributing four points apiece, to expand its lead to double digits, 36-26, and prompt a Nevada timeout with 17:40 left in the half.  Custer knocked down a mid-range bucket that pushed the margin to 40-28 before Nevada began to battle back, as a Josh Hall layup pulled the Wolfpack within six, 44-38.  Donte Ingram and Custer responded with scores, respectively, to push the lead back up to 10, 48-38, at the 13:03 mark.
 
With the Ramblers sitting on a 58-48 lead, Caroline finished in traffic to spark a 6-0 Wolfpack run that saw Nevada climb back to down only four, 57-53, with six minutes to play.  A reverse layup from Richardson pushed the Loyola lead back to four, 59-55, before fastbreak scores from Caroline and Cody Martin knotted the game up at 59-59 with four minutes remaining in regulation.  Jackson knocked down a big three to break the tie as Loyola retook a three-point lead, 62-59.  After Nevada again battled back to within one, 66-65, Townes came up with the biggest shot of the night when he drained a three with the shot clock expiring to give Loyola a four-point lead, 69-65, with only seven seconds to play.  Caleb Martin connected on a triple on the ensuing Wolfpack possession but time would run out as Loyola punched its ticket to the Elite Eight.
 
Looking At The Numbers
- Loyola operated at a 55.8 percent clip (29-of-52) from the field, a mark that was bolstered by the Ramblers shooting a blistering 75 percent (18-of-24) during the second half.
- Townes dished out five assists to go along with his team-high scoring output.
- Custer chipped in 15 points and came away with three steals.
- Jackson came off the bench to score 15 points and grab four rebounds. 
- Caleb Martin led all scorers with 21 points to pace the Nevada attack.
 
Up Next
Loyola moves on to the South Region final on Saturday, where it will take on the winner of the game between fifth-seeded Kentucky and ninth-seeded Kansas State.