CHICAGO (December 3, 2022)
 
In Short…
Visiting DePaul (5-3) roared back from a 17-point first-half hole to force overtime, where it ultimately held on for a 78-72 victory over Loyola University Chicago (3-5) this afternoon inside a sold-out Gentile Arena.
 
How It Happened
Marquise Kennedy put the Ramblers on the board with just over two minutes gone, connecting on his first of four three-point field goals to give Loyola a 3-2 edge.  Tom Welch brought a packed house to its feet at the 14:49 mark, flushing home a feed from Braden Norris to extend the margin to 9-4.
 
With the lead sitting at 9-6, a driving score by Ben Schwieger laid the foundation for a 12-0 tear, capped off by a Welch layup that saw the gap balloon to 21-6 with 9:52 remaining in the first half.  A pullup three by Norris gave Loyola its largest lead of the afternoon, 30-13, with 6:26 to play as the Ramblers shot a scorching 68 percent in the opening stanza to charge into the locker room with a 37-24 halftime advantage.
 
DePaul wasted no time in looking to cut into its deficit in the second half, scoring the frame's first seven points to pull within six, 37-31, and force an early Loyola timeout.  The Maroon & Gold counted with a 9-0 spurt, with a Sheldon Edwards jumper in the paint pushing the lead to 46-31 with 15:22 remaining.
 
Following a corner trey from Philip Alston that staked the Ramblers to a 49-37 lead, DePaul rattled off 10 straight points, as a Javan Johnson layup made it a one-possession game, 49-47, at the 9:37 mark.  The visitors went on to take their first lead since the opening minutes on an Umoja Gibson three that vaulted the Blue Demons in front, 51-50, with 8:55 to go.
 
After seeing DePaul open up a 58-53 edge with just over three minutes remaining, Norris drained a deep two that snapped a lengthy drought from the field and clawed Loyola within three, 58-55.  Norris found himself back in the mix again as time began to wind down, providing the crucial feed for a conventional three-point play by Welch that knotted the game up at 60-60 and ultimately forced overtime.
 
Kennedy came out attacking in the extra frame, attacking the rim on back-to-back possessions to put the Ramblers on top, 64-62, with 3:35 to go.  Johnson responded with a deep triple on DePaul's ensuing possession, sparking an 8-0 Blue Demon run, punctuated by another Johnson trey that saw DePaul charge out to a 70-64 lead.  Loyola would battle back to within three on a pair of separate occasions down the stretch, but DePaul was able to put the game away from the free throw line as it escaped Rogers Park victorious.
 
Inside The Box Score
- Kennedy was spectacular, finishing with a career-high 26 points (9-15 FGs, 4-8 3FGs, 4-4 FTs) , a total that included a career-best four makes from distance.
- Four the fourth time this season, Welch was perfect from the field, going 6-for-6 en route to closing his afternoon with 13 points (6-6 FGs, 1-1 FTs), seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
- Norris rounded out a trio of Ramblers in double figures with 11 points (4-10 FGs, 2-5 3FGs, 1-2 FTs) in addition to a season-best seven assists.
- Johnson led all scorers with 27 points (10-18 FGs, 3-8 3FGs, 4-4 FTs) for DePaul, while Gibson added 23 points (6-12 FGs, 4-5 3FGs, 7-8 FTs).
 
Up Next
Loyola wraps up its current homestand on Tuesday, December 6 at 7 p.m. when it battles former Horizon League rival Green Bay.