ASHLAND, Wis. – The Loras College men's basketball team earned itself a win on Saturday with a 101-73 victory over Northland College.
Ali Sabet led the way offensively for the Duhawks (3-1 overall, 0-1 American Rivers Conference), scoring a game-high 30 points, shooting 9-for-16 from the floor, including marks of 5-of-10 from three and 7-of-7 from the charity stripe.
Jack Haynes and
Declan Ciurlik each added 20 points. Haynes was 8-of-12 shooting, while Ciurlik was 7-of-12, including 6-of-9 from deep. Additionally, the pair each recorded six rebounds.
Haynes scored the first bucket of the game off a layup to get Loras on the board. The sophomore out of Streator, Ill. knocked down his first triple on the ensuing possession to put the Duhawks up, 5-2. After a basket by Northland's Jordan Brennan, Ciurlik responded with a three off an assist from Haynes to put the Purple and Gold up 8-2.
The LumberJacks (0-4) made things interesting and got within one (8-7), but it was all Loras from there on out as the Duhawks closed out the half up 46-32. At the break, Loras was shooting 42.1% from the field (16-of-38), compared to Northland's 33.3% (10-of-30).
Sabet got things going in the second half with a and-one layup on the team's first possession before knocking down a three to put Loras up by 20 (52-32). The Duhawks kept pouring it on behind strong shooting from beyond the arc, as the program converted nine of its 19 attempts (47.4%) over the final 20 points of play.
Kyle Kober's three with 3:10 to play gave the Duhawks their largest lead of the game at 95-64.
Emmett Loew's three pointer near the end of the contest pushed Loras past 100 points, making it twice this year the Duhawks have eclipsed the century mark, topping last year's total merely four games into the new season.
Loras held advantages in rebounds (50-30), assists (18-12), blocks (4-3), and points in the paint (30-22). Overall, the Duhawks shot 33-of-76 (43.4%) from the floor, 17-of-43 from deep (39.5%), while going nearly perfect from the line (18-of-19 / 94.7%).
Next up, Loras gets back into conference play by hosting Wartburg College at the AWC next Wednesday, Nov. 29. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.
