LINCOLN, Neb. (Duhawks.com) - For the second time this season, the No. 18 ranked Loras men's basketball team came up short on the road at Nebraska Wesleyan, falling in the American Rivers Tournament Championship, 97-79. Ryan DiCanio led the Duhawk scoring effort with 20 points while Demond George added five steals.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
• It was a slow start for Loras as they took on an early 12-4 deficit but they quickly answered with an 8-0 run of their own to tie things up at 12
• On the next offensive possession, Josh Ruggles made the hustle play to save the ball from going out of bounds and fed Cole Navigato for a layup and the foul to tie the game once again at 14
• Nebraska Wesleyan responded with a 10-0 rally while holding the Duhawks scoreless for nearly five minutes of play until Jordan Boyd threw up a floater for two
• Following a stagnant first half, the Duhawks opened the second by making five of their first six shots
• George sacrificed his body once again for one of his five steals, which translated to a DiCanio corner 3-pointer, cutting the Prairie Wolves lead to 12
• Nebraska Wesleyan responded with an 11-0 run while holding the Duhawks scoreless for three and a half minutes to push the lead out of reach
 
NOTABLES
• George's five steals was a career-high and brought his career total to 171, passing Kevin Schmemmerhorn for second in program history
• The Duhawks recorded 20-plus assists for the ninth time this season
• Ruggles became the third player in Loras' 110-year history with 200 3-pointers, joining Jason Driscoll and Chris Jans, who both finished with 214 in their respective careers … Ruggles moved into 17th all-time with 1,228 points, passing Justin VanWambeke

UP NEXT
The Duhawks turn their attention to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball selection show on Monday to determine their postseason fate. Given the team's No. 3 regional ranking in the West, Loras should be in a position to receive one of the national committee's 21 at-large bids to the tournament. Fans can tune into the selection show at 11:30 a.m. on NCAA.com