Loyola controls second half and beats Gold Rush 66-59
November 29, 2011

Box score

     NEW ORLEANS — Robert Lovaglio had 15 points and 11 rebounds Tuesday, leading four Loyola scorers in double figures in a 66-59 men's basketball victory against NAIA No. 21 Xavier University of Louisiana at The Barn.
     Corey Gray scored 13 points for the Wolfpack (6-2), and Cameron Cates and Steve Davis scored 10 apiece.
     Nick Haywood scored 14 points and Wanto Joseph 10 for Xavier (4-2), which has lost two straight.
     An 8-0 Loyola run in the final 4½ minutes of the first half tied the score at 20. The Wolfpack led for all but 38 seconds of the second half and took the lead for good at 42-40 on Kyle Simmons' two free throws with 8:41 remaining.
     Xavier outshot Loyola 44.2 to 36.7 percent from the floor, but the Wolfpack had the advantage at the line, making 28-of-37 free throws to the Gold Rush's 16-of-27. Loyola made 22-of-30 from the line in the second half, Xavier missed seven free throws in the final eight minutes. Loyola made 9-of-10 free throws in the final 1:46.
     Haywood, the reigning Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week, made three 3-pointers to give him 10 in the past two games.
     Lovaglio, the first Loyola player in five seasons to record a double-double against Xavier, grabbed nine first-half rebounds and helped the Wolfpack finish with a 36-28 advantage.
     The loss was the second in Xavier's past 25 home games and 41 non-conference home games. Loyola snapped Xavier's 20-game home win streak against non-conference opponents and won for the fifth time in 34 meetings with its city rival.
     Xavier will play Concordia (Ala.) at 4 p.m. Saturday at The Barn.