The Loyola College men's basketball team is off to its best start in 64 seasons, but last night that was no consolation to the Greyhounds or their angry second-year coach.
In the wake of a disappointing 80-72 loss to visiting Fairfield before 1,949 at Reitz Arena, Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos saluted Stags senior guard Terrence Todd, who lit up the Greyhounds with a career-high 35 points.
Patsos was bothered by the way Loyola (11-6, 5-4) went down on its home court for only the second time this season. On a night when the Greyhounds struggled to get their offense rolling against a box-and-one defense designed to contain Loyola senior guard Andre Collins (team-high 26 points), Loyola produced ineffective play inside, missed too many foul shots, and settled too often for jumpers.
The Greyhounds also did little to stop Todd from driving to the basket, which is how he fashioned an 11-for-19 shooting night and a 13-for-14 effort at the free-throw line. And they frequently left guards Michael Van Schaick (18 points) and Herbie Allen (15 points) alone on the perimeter.
"Terrence Todd was the best player on the floor. That's why they won. [But] I thought it was the first time all year we were out-competed," Patsos said. "I think they just out-gutted us. They beat us to loose balls. They made little plays. That's how you win games, and this is a league game. You have to protect your home court."
To Loyola's credit, it still pushed the Stags, who completed a six-game road trip and had lost three of their past four. Loyola erased an early 9-1 deficit behind Collins and freshman guard Marquis Sullivan - he scored 13 points in his second career start - and led 48-47 with 8:54 left in the game.
Then, with Todd, Van Schaick and Allen each contributing points, Fairfield (6-11, 4-5) went on a 16-4 run and took a commanding 63-52 lead with 4:35 left, then cruised to an important Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win.
The Greyhounds stayed within striking distance. After Collins made a three-pointer to tie the game at 19-19 with 7:58 left in the first half, there would be four more ties and 14 lead changes. But 41.3 percent field-goal shooting and 54.2 percent free-throw shooting would catch up to Loyola.
"We didn't run out of gas," Collins said. "The whole game was the team not concentrating. The team wasn't focused. We definitely aren't satisfied with 11 wins. It was just a game we gave away tonight."
gary.lambrecht@baltsun.com
FAIRFIELD-Maxwell 3-7 1-1 7, Carter 1-2 2-4 5, Todd 11-19 13-14 35, Han 0-3 0-0 0, Van Schaick 6-10 2-2 18, Bell 0-3 0-0 0, Oglesby 0-3 0-0 0, Allen 4-8 4-8 15, Middleton 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-56 22-29 80. LOYOLA-Fofana 1-4 0-4 2, Tuck 4-7 0-2 8, Collins 8-24 6-6 26, Sullivan 5-9 1-3 13, James 3-5 1-3 8, Stanback 0-1 0-0 0, Hinds 0-1 1-2 1, Manning 1-2 0-0 2, Goggin 0-0 0-0 0, Khaleel 1-1 0-0 2, Farrell 2-6 2-2 6, Alujevic 1-3 2-2 4. Totals 26-63 13-24 72. Half-Fairfield 31-30. Three-point goals-Fairfield 8-23 (Van Schaick 4-7, Allen 3-7, Carter 1-1, Bell 0-2, Han 0-2, Todd 0-2, Oglesby 0-2), Loyola 7-28 (Collins 4-15, Sullivan 2-6, James 1-2, Farrell 0-1, Stanback 0-1, Manning 0-1, Alujevic 0-2). Fouled out-Middleton. Rebounds-Fairfield 40 (Maxwell 10), Loyola 39 (Farrell, Tuck 7). Assists-Fairfield 10 (Todd 4), Loyola 13 (Collins 4). Total fouls-Fairfield 22, Loyola 23. A-1,949.
