PELLA, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - Behind a 32-point performance from sophomore
Demond George, the Loras men's basketball team won their eighth straight game on Wednesday evening. The Duhawks defeated Central 88-68 on the road to improve to 11-4 overall and 4-2 in conference play.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
First Half
- When George opened the scoring at the 18:50 mark, his three went in with ease, setting the tone for the rest of the night.
- On Loras' next possession, it was George once again who hit from downtown, doubling Loras' lead to six.
- After Central responded with a 6-0 run, freshman Matt Dacy-Seijo halted the run with his first 3-pointer at the 17:04 mark.
- With 11:45 to play, sophomore Jake Toman served up a 3-pointer of his own to make it 15-12 Duhawks.
- Each of Loras' first 21 points came via 3-pointer, a streak which ended after George fed Dacy-Seijo on the fast-break for a 23-16 Duhawk lead.
- The hot hand of George continued with little resistance, as the sophomore made his fourth 3-pointer of the half with with 8:09 to play in the half.
- Leading 35-26, Loras opened a 17-point lead with an 8-0 run with 2:57 left in the opening half.
- Sophomore Josh Ruggles closed the scoring for the Duhawks with a 3-pointer to bring his total to 12, giving Loras a 21-point lead at the 1:35 mark.
- Back-to-back buckets from Central brought the deficit to 16 after 20 minutes.
Second Half
- Desperate for a comeback, the Dutch tried everything to cut into the Duhawk lead, but nearly every basket for Central was matched by a basket by the Purple & Gold.
- After Kyle Smith opened with a 3-pointer for the Dutch, Loras responded with an 11-2 run, led by five points from DiCanio, which included four steals for the Duhawks.
- A 7-2 run by the Dutch at 7:42 cut the Loras lead from 21 to 14, which was as close as Central would get the rest of the night.
- Over the final seven minutes, the Duhawks outscored Central 19-13, with six more points from George to bring his total to 32 on the night.
- During that stretch, Loras was 4-of-5 from three and 6-of-9 from the floor.
NOTABLES
- Loras held a lead from 13:18 of the first half through to the end
- The Duhawks outscored Central in fastbreak points (12-2), bench points (27-12), points off turnovers (24-15) and second chance points (9-0)
- With the win, Loras has now won eight in a row and is three wins from its longest winning streak since the 2007-08 season
FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Demond George | On a night where it seemed like he could do no wrong, George scorched the Dutch to the tune of 32 points on 7-of-9 shooting from behind the arc. He added five steals and three rebounds for his best all-around game this season.
SOUNDBITES
UP NEXT
Following a bye in the conference schedule this weekend, the Duhawks return to Lillis Court on Monday against Coe. The Kohawks defeated Nebraska Wesleyan on Wednesday, 85-73. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.
