DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - In the inaugural game of the
Chris Martin era, the men's basketball team knocked off Elmhurst on Tuesday night, 104-102. In a high-scoring affair, sophomore
Demond George scored a team-high 28 points, making four three-pointers and shooting a combined 59 percent from the field. Senior
Justin VanWambeke chipped in 18 points of his own, including a critical three-pointer to put Loras ahead with two seconds remaining. Tuesday marked the first win for Loras on opening night when scoring 100 or more points since 1973
.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
First Half
- The Chris Martin era got off to a rocky start as the Duhawks missed their first four shots from the floor and quickly found themselves trailing 6-1.
- It was a methodical process, but Loras continued to fight and battle its way back, coming within one at 17-16 with 13:34 to play in the first half.
- Just as soon as the Duhawks came within one, the Bluejays opened a nine-point gap with a 12-1 run spanning 3:35 of game clock.
- George kept Loras within striking distance, highlighted by his 17-point half. The sophomore guard connected on 3-of-6 attempts from beyond the arc and was 3-for-3 on all other shots.
- In addition to George's monster performance, the Duhawks capitalized on their offensive rebounds, turning in 15 second chance points.
- Trailing by 10 with 7:58 remaining, freshman Matt Dacy-Seijo kickstarted a 8-0 run for the Purple & Gold with a 3-pointer on an assist from sophomore Jake Toman.
- The Bluejays muffed the ensuing possession and George took the steal to the bucket for the fastbreak layup.
- A 3-pointer by Elmhurst's Jake Rhode on the final possession of the half sent the teams to the locker room with the Bluejays ahead, 48-45.
Second Half
- A layup from senior Danny Quinn less than two minutes into the second half gave Loras its first lead of the game at 52-51.
- The see-saw was in full effect on Tuesday, resulting in 21 lead changes in the second half, compared to zero in the first half.
- Similar to a pair of heavyweight boxers, both the Duhawks and Bluejays doled out heavy punches via the 3-ball, but with every punch landed, the recipient got back up and fought harder on the next possession.
- With under five minutes to play, Elmhurst held a five-point lead after a pair of free throws form Rhode.
- VanWambeke lifted the Duhawks into triple-digit territory with a layup at the 1:38 mark, which came immediately after a put-back dunk from the Bluejays Jalen Loving.
- After a jumper from Rhode with 11 seconds to play, VanWambeke drilled his 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds on the clock, putting his team in front for the final time.
FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Demond George | When the Duhawks were struggling to find offensive rhythm in the first half, George rose to the occasion and kept his team in contention. The Neuqua Valley graduate totaled 28 points on opening night on 10-of-17 shooting.
UP NEXT
Loras travels to Bloomington, Ill. on Friday for the Illinois Wesleyan Tip-Off Classic. Saturday's game pits the Duhawks against Aurora, who were 87-63 winners over Millikin on Tuesday night.
