T-Birds Drop Close One at Loyola-Chicago

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS -- The SUU Men's Basketball team was on the road for the first time this season and gave the Ramblers of Loyola University-Chicago everything they could handle. But came up just short, and suffered their first loss of the season, 76-72.

Head Coach Rob Jeter said

"I am super proud of our performance tonight, but this was a game that we could have won. There are a few things we need to continue to work on, like boxing out, and some of the other little things that will help us be successful."

Top T-Birds

• Jamir Simpson had a phenomenal night. Matching a career-high with 28 points on 10-18 from the field.
• Dominique Ford scored a flurry of points late in the second half to finish the game with 18 on 6-11 from the field and 2-5 from three.
• For the third time this season, Jamari Sibley had 10 rebounds. He also scored seven points and had a team-high four assists.

 Game Recap

The game started as a brutal defensive battle. The teams were tied 4-4 until the 13:35 mark in the first half, and then the Ramblers started rollin'. After a three-pointer by Jayden Dawson, the lead was 29-20 for Loyola. Free throws kept the Thunderbirds in the game during the first 20 minutes, making 15 of 16 attempts. Back-to-back buckets by the Thunderbirds had them heading into the halftime break down 35-32.

The second half saw a lot more scoring. The Thunderbirds shot 50% from the field and 43% from three; the Ramblers shot 56% from the field and 50% from three.

Dominique Ford hit back-to-back threes, was fouled on a three-point attempt, and made all three tries, and SUU led 65-64 with 4:57 remaining in the game. But Francis Nwaokorie laced a three-pointer on the next possession, and the Thunderbirds couldn't come up with enough stops to regain the lead. A pair of free throws by Justin Moore would give the Ramblers a four-point lead with nine seconds to play, and the game closed with a score of 76-72.

Up Next

SUU will head to the University of San Diego for a two-game MTE tournament. Playing San Diego on Friday, November 22, at 8:00 p.m. and then the University of Idaho on Saturday, November 23, at 3:00 p.m.