DUBUQUE. Iowa – The Loras College men's basketball team dropped its season opener to DePauw University, 77-74, on Saturday afternoon inside the Lillis Athletic and Wellness Center.

The Duhawks trailed by seven (18-11) just over eight minutes into the contest but found a way to outscore DePauw (1-1 overall, 0-0 NCAC) 20-8 for the rest of the first half to head into the locker room with a five-point (31-26) lead.

The second half featured 10 ties and 10 lead changes. The Tigers took the lead for the final time following a three-pointer from Sam Jacobs. Loras (0-1 overall, 0-0 A-R-C) cut the deficit to just one (75-74) after Jack Haynes sunk the free throw to complete the three-point play with 33 seconds remaining. The visitors used a pair of free throws to extend their lead and secure the 77-74 victory.

Emmett Loew paced the Purple and Gold offense with 20 points, shooting 9-of-14 from the floor. Kyle Kober and Gavin Sarvis followed closely behind with 15 and 10 points respectively. Brock Massey pulled down a team-high six rebounds, while Loew added a game-high six steals to his stat line as well. As a team, Loras shot 40.9 percent (27-of-66) from the field and 93.8 percent (15-of-16) from the charity stripe.

Jacobs led the way for the Tigers with 25 points. Reph Stevenson and Brady Kunka rounded out the double-digit scorers for DePauw with 18 and 10 points respectively. Stevenson also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, while Caleb Washington dished out four assists. The visitors shot 57.4 percent (27-of-47) from the floor and 58.6 percent (17-of-29) from the foul line.

Up Next: The Duhawks look to grab their first win of the season against the Kalamazoo College Hornets on Sunday, Nov. 9. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. from Lillis Court.