CHICAGO – Loyola Chicago went 2-0 in opening week action after downing West Georgia at home Thursday night, 76-53. Four Ramblers scored at least 10 points each, including a team-high from
Dayan Nessah for the second straight game. He finished with 15.
Loyola improves to 2-0 with the win.
"Our guys did a great job tonight. West Georgia has some really talented players. They're athletic and can make some plays that take the air out of the crowd," said head coach
Drew Valentine. "Our guys just stayed the course. They were solid and connected. Malick being back brought us a force and physicality we needed. Dayan embodied what we want defensively. He can score and make plays, but he's one of the most rock-solid defenders, and he was awesome tonight."
How It Happened
For the second straight game, the Ramblers pushed their lead to double-figures before their opponent ever got on the board.
Jason Schofield scored the first four points of the game, sparking a 10-0 run. West Georgia finally scored with 15:04 on the clock after opening the game 0-8 from the field. It wasn't enough to halt Loyola's rampage as the Ramblers pushed their lead to 17 with nine more straight points. Schofield tallied four more points during the stretch.
The Wolves chipped their way back in with two straight from deep and eventually cut it down to nine with 7:16 to play.
Jayden Dawson stepped up with back-to-back threes from opposite corners to regain a double-digit lead by the 4:37 mark. West Georgia got back within eight with a 7-0 run, but
Dayan Nessah score five for the Ramblers in the final two minutes to help keep the lead at the break, 42-29.
Loyola scored the first seven points of the second half and took its largest lead yet on a
Guillaume Grotzinger layup, 49-29. The Wolves would get the lead down to nine once more with the help of a 10-0 run that forced a Loyola timeout. Kenneth Chime's dunk with 10:47 to play capped the run and was the final field goal for West Georgia in the game.
The Ramblers rallied with a 13-1 run that spanned over six minutes. Six different Ramblers scored and
Malick Diallo's turnaround jumper in the paint put Loyola up by 22 with 4:10 on the clock. Loyola's final basket of the night was a three by
Donald Hand Jr., and it gave Loyola it's largest lead for the win, 76-53.
Inside the Box Score
- Nessah was Loyola's leading scorer with 15 points. He added five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.
- Three more Ramblers scored double-figures. Schofield and Dawson had season-highs with 12 points each, while Diallo had 10 points in his Maroon & Gold debut.
- Grotzinger tallied a game-high six assists.
- Loyola held West Georgia to 26.7 percent from the field, while shooting 50.9 percent.
- Loyola dominated the paint, 42-12.
- The Ramblers converted 17 turnovers to 19 points. Fourteen of those points came in the first half on nine turnovers.
Up Next
The Ramblers open up a two-game road trip at Air Force on Nov. 11.
