DAVIDSON, N.C. – Jayden Dawson notched his third straight game over 20 with a 24-point outing at Davidson, helping Loyola Chicago to a 77-69 win over the Wildcats. He finished 7-13 from the field with five three-pointers.
 
Loyola improves to 17-9 overall and 8-5 in Atlantic 10 play.
 
"We were just hooping tonight," said head coach Drew Valentine. "I thought we did a really good job on our transition offense and had solid early looks whether it was from three or two. Defense is our identity and we had a handful with Reed Bailey, but overall, I think we made Davidson inefficient."
 
How It Happened
Loyola came to play out of the jump ball. The Ramblers put the first six points on the board and jumped ahead 12-2 four-minutes in. Four Ramblers got on the board early with Dawson leading the way with five points and a three for the 10-point lead that forced the Davidson timeout. The Wildcats fought back within two on a 9-3 run that saw six points from Reed Bailey.
 
Davidson kept the offensive momentum and used six unanswered to take its first lead of the game. Zach Laput tied it 22-all at the 5:52 mark, while Bobby Durkin hit a turnaround jumper for a two-point lead less than a minute later. Loyola responded with six straight of its own to retake the lead, and Dawson drained one final three of the half to go up 32-28 at the break.
 
Loyola built its lead to double-digits less than four minutes into the half. Davidson had the first bucket, but Dawson matched it down court sinking a three and completing a four-point play at the line. He'd get another pull-up jumper to cap the run and put the Ramblers up by 10, 40-30. Des Watson and Sheldon Edwards Jr. hit back-to-back threes for a 12-point edge by the 14:47 mark.
 
Midway through the second, the Wildcats used an 11-2 stretch to cut the Rambler lead down to three, but another four-point Dawson play kept the Ramblers ahead, 59-53. Davidson scored the next six and tied it 60-all at the line on a three-point play. Loyola didn't falter with Watson scoring five of Loyola's next seven. The Ramblers led by 10 three times in the final minute and came away with the win, 77-69.
 
Inside the Box Score
- Dawson led all-scorers with 24. It's his third straight 20+ point performance and fifth of the season. It also marked the third consecutive game with at least five made threes. He added three boards, three assists, a steal, and block.
- Watson scored 15 points on 6-13 from the field. He hit three from deep and recorded three rebounds, two assists, and matched his career-high four steals.
- Miles Rubin (14) and Edwards Jr. (11) completed the double-figure performances. Rubin grabbed seven boards, while Edwards Jr. recorded eight.
- Francis Nwaokorie matched Edwards Jr. with a team-high eight rebounds. Five of his came on the offensive glass.
- Loyola scored 17 points off Davidson's nine turnovers.
- The Ramblers shot 42.9 percent from the field (27-63) to the Wildcats' 37.9 percent (22-58).
- Loyola has won its last three and five of its last six games. 
 
Up Next
Loyola takes on Dayton Feb. 21 at home. Tip-off is 6 p.m. in Gentile.