Contact: Emily Adlfinger, Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7970

MONMOUTH, Ill. (Nov. 10, 2021) – The Loras College men's basketball team (1-0) opened the season with a high intensity and back and forth contest on the road on Wednesday, challenging the Monmouth College Fighting Scots (0-2) in a full 40-minute battle that resulted in the Duhawks' discipline at the free-throw line paying off in an 84-79 victory. The win was the fifth season-opener win for the Duhawks under head coach Chris Martin in his six years with the program.

The hosts scored the first points of the evening before freshman Ali Sabet answered back with his first collegiate layup off a pass from Myles Barry. Two free throws by fifth-year graduate student Rowan McGowen gave Loras the lead in the opening minute but the Scots took back control on their home court, taking a 12-7 lead with 16:12 on the clock. Free throws by senior Jackson Kolinski and a three-pointer by Sabet brought the Duhawks within two points fie minutes into the game until the Scots scored eight points over the next three minutes to pull away, 22-14. Drew Wollenschagler drove the lane with a nice layup to halt the run before freshman Tyler Bass added a jump shot to bring the score within four with 10:22 before the half and a three-pointer by Sabet a minute later brought the Duhawks within one point, 21-22. Sabet tied it up with a layup with 8:13 left and a three-point play by Kolinski was able to re-route the Duhawks after a three-minute run by the Scots. With 5:08 left in the half, McGowen hit another three-pointer to cut the score within three and the Duhawks kept Monmouth off the board before Cole Navigato made a layup and drew the foul to make it a one point game, 32-33 with under three minutes to go. A layup by McGowen a minute later gave Loras the one-point advantage and his sharp shooting from three point range put Loras up 37-25 with a minute to go. The Scots made one more before the half, tying the score, and set the stage for more edge-of-your-seat basketball in the second half.

The Duhawks opened the second half with momentum that would continue to build as the half progressed, starting with a layup by Sabet and followed by another for Navigato to lead 41-37. The Scots answered back with a three to come within one before regaining the lead, 43-41 with 17:12 left to play. A layup by Alex Singleton two minutes later gave Loras the spark to start on an 13-2 run over the next three minutes to pull ahead 56-48 until Monmouth halted the momentum with a three-pointer with 11:32 on the clock. Loras kept an eight-point buffer with a layup by Barry with 9:30 left but the Scots continued to battle back, coming within two points with 7:00 to go and Loras ahead 63-61. Navigato gave the Duhawks a momentum shift with a dunk off the pass from McGowen and added another two minutes later, this time off the pass from Sabet, to put Loras up 75-68 with just under four minutes to play.

Monmouth tacked on four back-to-back buckets to make it a three-point game with two minutes to play, trailing 75-72 but McGowen made sure to double that lead and hit a three-pointer with 36 seconds left on the clock to pull ahead 80-74 before the Scots answered back with a pair of free-throws to make it a four-point game. Sabet drew a foul and made a pair of free throws right back to extend the lead with 19 seconds left but on the next possession, Monmouth hit a three-pointer to pull within three with six seconds to play. Both teams were in double bonus and the clock was not in favor of the Scots as Sabet drew a foul with four seconds remaining, made both his free throws, and secured the win for Loras as time expired.

McGowen paced the offense with 22 points in 26 minutes on the court including 8-8 shooting at the line and four three pointers to distance his program record while Sabet opened his collegiate career with 21 points and 5-6 at the line. Navigato added 14 points, including two of his signature dunks, to go 6-10 from the field while Kolinski grabbed seven rebounds, helping Loras out-rebound the Scots 26-17. Monmouth was more efficient shooting on the night, going 56 percent from the field and 53 percent beyond the arc but the Duhawks' 90 percent shooting at the line proved critical, especially in the waning seconds.

The Duhawks will play their home opener on Saturday, Nov. 13 against Rockford University. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 P.M. inside the Patrick J. Lillis Athletic and Wellness Center.