ATLANTA, Ga. (December 10, 2022)
 
In Short…
Led by standout efforts from Philip Alston and Braden Norris, Loyola University Chicago (5-5) shot a season-high 56 percent, while holding a vaunted Clemson (8-3, 1-0 ACC) attack to a 39-percent clip as it charged to a 76-58 win this evening inside State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga.  Tonight's victory is Loyola's third over an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent in its last four meetings against a member of the league.
 
How It Happened
Norris wasted no time getting his night off to a fast start, drilling his first of three first-half triples a minute in to give Loyola a 3-2 lead.  The senior guard accounted for eight of the Maroon & Gold's first 11 points, with his second trey pulling the Ramblers within one, 12-11, with 15:56 to play.
 
With the Tigers' lead sitting at 14-11, Norris connected with Tom Welch on an alley-oop that sparked a 7-0 Loyola run, capped off by a conventional three-point play by Marquise Kennedy that staked the Ramblers to an 18-14 edge.  A Bryce Golden layup say the lead reach seven, 23-16, and prompted a Clemson timeout with 8:23 remaining. 
 
Coming out of the stoppage, the Tigers closed the gap to three, 23-20, on a P.J. Hall jumper, but Loyola countered with a 7-0 spurt, highlighted by five points from Alston, that saw the lead reach double digits, 30-20, following an acrobatic finish by Welch with 4:24 to play.  Clemson again looked to mount a rally, trimming the gap to 30-26, but Loyola had another answer, scoring the half's final seven points, with a Norris buzzer-beating three sending the Ramblers sprinting into halftime with a 37-26 lead.
 
Alston got Loyola off and running coming out of the intermission, draining a corner triple in the opening minute to push Loyola's edge to 40-26.  The junior forward came up big again at the 12:25 mark, connecting again from distance as part of a 7-0 push which reestablished a 14-point lead, 52-38, with 11:38 to play in regulation.
 
Clemson refused to go quietly, rallying within eight, 63-55, on an Ian Schieffelin layup in transition that forced a Loyola timeout with just under seven minutes to go.  Jayden Dawson finished through contact two minutes later, laying the groundwork for a 13-1 Rambler run that put to rest any doubt.
 
Inside The Box Score
- Loyola closed the night at 27-for-48 from the field, a mark that included a sizzling 50-percent rate (12-for-24) rate from beyond the three-point arc as the Ramblers tied a season high by totaling 12 triples.
- On the other end of the floor, Clemson shot just 21-for-54 and a frigid 3-for-21 from outside.  Loyola is now a perfect 18-0 under head coach Drew Valentine when holding an opponent at our below 40 percent efficiency from the field.
- Alston dazzled, scoring 13 of his game-high 23 points (9-12 FGs, 4-6 3FGs, 1-1 FTs) during the second half.
- Norris hit on a season-best five threes as part of a 19-point night (7-14 FGs, 5-10 3FGs) in addition to dishing out seven assists, matching season highs in both categories.
- Welch posted his fourth perfect night from the floor this season, finishing with nine points (4-4 FGs, 1-1 FTs), six rebounds, and a season-best four assists.
- Chase Hunter paced Clemson with 13 points (5-13 FGs, 1-5 3FGs, 2-3 FTs) as the Maroon & Gold held the Tigers to a season-low tying 58 points.
 
Up Next
After taking a break for final exams, Loyola hosts Albany in a 1 p.m. tip-off on Sunday, December 18.