Jan. 31, 2008

Box Score |  Quotes

CHICAGO - After experiencing an emotional week due to the untimely passing of former Rambler Anthony Smith, Loyola University Chicago used some last-second heroics for the second straight game to earn a 69-68 victory over Youngstown State tonight at the Gentile Center. Senior Tracy Robinson, who was a teammate of Smith's in 2004-05, hit a three-pointer as time expired to provide the final margin as Loyola won consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 8 and 15.

The Ramblers started out slow, falling behind 13-5 before rallying to tie the game at 27 with just under three minutes left in the half. Loyola closed the period by scoring the final four points, two on a dunk by Darrin Williams and two on a lay-up by Ross Forman, to take a 31-27 lead into the locker room at halftime.

A wild second half featured 18 lead changes and three ties. Loyola led by as many as six points early in the second half, but Youngstown State quickly erased the deficit and the teams exchanged leads for the final 17-plus minutes. A dunk by Byron Davis gave the Penguins a 59-53 lead, their largest since the opening minutes of the game, with eight minutes remaining. Sophomore Aric Van Weelden drained a pair of free throws with 2:32 left to give the hosts a 64-63 advantage, but John Barber hit a jumper with just over a minute left to put YSU back on top by a point.

J.R. Blount's basket with 47 seconds left gave Loyola a 66-65 lead, but Barber again hit a jumper to give the Penguins the lead with 32 ticks left on the clock. After Van Weelden misfired on a three-point attempt, Byron Davis hit the first of a two-shot foul. Van Weelden corralled the rebound on the miss, setting the stage for Robinson's heroics. Robinson, who had 19 points in the first meeting between the teams earlier this month, buried a three-pointer from the top of the key as time expired to lift the Ramblers to their second straight win.

Blount and Robinson each tallied 16 points to lead Loyola, while Williams chipped in 10 points off the bench for only his second career double-figure performance. In addition to his 16 points, Blount snagged eight rebounds and dished out four assists to only one turnover.

Youngstown State received 19 points apiece from Barber and Dwight Holmes.

Loyola looks for its third consecutive win when it hosts Cleveland State Saturday night at 7 p.m.