Jan. 6, 2007

Box Score |  Quotes |  Notes

CHICAGO - J.R. Blount scored 20 points and Loyola shot 65.3 percent from the field in claiming an 87-74 win over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Saturday afternoon at the Gentile Center.

Avery Smith scored 15 points to lead the Panthers (4-13, 1-3 Horizon), but he was limited to 17 minutes because of foul trouble. Kevin Massiah and Allan Hanson pitched in with 13 apiece for Milwaukee, while Ricky Franklin tossed in 11.

But, UWM could not slow a Rambler attack that had five players in double figures or overcome a long offensive slump late in the second half.

"They are the number one scoring team in the conference and they proved that again tonight," UWM head coach Rob Jeter said. "Anytime you let their inside play and their outside play to get you, you're just going to have a hard time beating them. Offensively, we were efficient, but defensively we just couldn't handle their multi-faceted attack.

The Panthers scored just one field goal over a nearly 10-minute stretch of the second half, much of it with leading scorer Smith on the bench with four fouls, as the Ramblers slowly turned a one-point lead into as much as a 16-point edge.

The Ramblers took the lead for good on a tip-in by Andy Polka that made it 57-55 with 16:23 remaining. But, Loyola didn't put the Panthers away until a 9-0 run late in the second half that pushed the lead into double digits. Smith re-entered a couple of times during the run before fouling out with 2:47 left.

Leon Young and Blake Schilb each pitched in with 17 points for the Ramblers (11-5, 3-1), who were the preseason pick to win the Horizon League.

After falling behind 6-2 to start the game, the Panthers grabbed a 12-9 lead on a Smith layin before pushing the edge to 17-11 on another Smith hoop with 13:40 left. Milwaukee's lead was still 21-15 following a Marcus Skinner tip in with 11:31 left, but the Ramblers scored the next six points to tie the game at 21 before taking the lead on a pair of free throws by Blount with 7:36 remaining.

The Panthers stayed close the rest of the half despite Smith and Franklin spending most of the last 10 minutes on the bench with foul trouble. Loyola pushed its edge out to 42-34 on a Schilb three but a basket by Paulsen and a three-pointer by Hansen allowed UWM to pull within 46-42 at the break.

UWM tied the game at 50 early in the second half and was still within 63-62 when Smith went to the bench with his fourth foul at the 12:33 mark. The first foul of the half on Loyola was called on Loyola approximately 90 seconds later, but the Ramblers steadily pulled away. A basket by Polka made it 69-64 with 7:54 left and a three by Blount pushed the lead to double digits for the first time at 76-64 with 3:41 left.

Milwaukee's continues its stretch of three-straight road games with a trip to Ohio next week. The Panthers play at Cleveland State Thursday night and at Youngstown State Saturday night.