Loyola

Junior goalkeeper Adam Cohen did what he could, making a career-high 15 saves in UMBC's 13-5 loss to No. 8 Loyola on Saturday night. And he certainly caught the attention of the Greyhounds. “You've got to give Adam Cohen a lot of credit,” coach Charley Toomey said. “He bulled his neck in the goal for UMBC and really kept them around.” Junior attackman Mike Sawyer, who recorded a game-best seven points on five goals and two assists, said it took some time for him to figure out Cohen as a left-handed goalie.

As the top seed in the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament, No. 3 Loyola is the favorite to survive the two rounds, capture the tourney, and earn the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament. But in Wednesday night's semifinal, the Greyhounds (12-1) must first get past No. 9 Denver (8-5), which upset No. 5 Duke, 15-9, last Friday. Coach Charley Toomey said there are no plans to review the Pioneers' win against the Blue Devils with the team. “We really don't have to show that film to talk about respecting Denver,” he said of the two-time reigning conference champion during a conference call Monday of the four coaches participating in the conference tournament.

Mike Sawyer, Loyola Junior, Waxhaw, N.C., attackman Sawyer followed one career-best performance with another in a span of four days last week. The 6-foot, 180-pound attackman began his week with five goals and six points in the Greyhounds' 15-8 rout of Michigan on Wednesday. Sawyer exceeded that display with six goals and eight points in a 13-8 victory over then-No. 14 Duke. Sawyer, who was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, leads the team in both goals (18)

Loyola's rise in the rankings this week is a positive sign for the Eastern College Athletic Conference, but the No. 8 Greyhounds aren't the only evidence of the league's competitiveness. No. 6 Denver went to the Final Four last spring and routed then-No. 6 Penn State, 14-6, on Saturday. No. 15 Fairfield joins Loyola as two of five remaining teams in Division I with undefeated records. Bellarmine knocked off then-No. 18 Dartmouth, 12-10, on March 6, Air Force edged Army, 9-8, in overtime, and even No. 19 Ohio State - which has dropped two straight - has a significant win against Denver.

A 3-pointer by Alyssa Sutherland cut the deficit to two for the visiting Loyola women's basketball team, but two trips to the free-throw line by Iona (15-11, 10-5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) sealed the win, 67-61, Friday night. Katie Sheahin led Loyola (10-16, 5-10) with 14 points. Gettysburg 56, Johns Hopkins 43: The visiting Blue Jays (16-11) led by one at the break, but the Bullets (20-6) outscored them by 14 points in the second half of a Centennial Conference semifinal.

Five Loyola women received All-Big East honors, including first-team selections Marlee Paton and Taryn VanThof, when the all-conference teams were announced Wednesday. The Greyhounds, who are seeded third in the Big East tournament — which begins Thursday at Georgetown — also had three second-team selections: Annie Thomas (John Carroll), Hannah Schmitt and Maddy Lesher. Several other players with local ties also were honored. Notre Dame's Margaret Smith (McDonogh) was named to the first team, and Georgetown's Kelsi Bozel (Notre Dame Prep)

Loyola scored 18 unanswered points against Rider in the first half, leading to the Greyhounds' fifth consecutive win Friday night in front of a sold-out Reitz Arena crowd, 63-46. Forward Erik Etherly led the Greyhounds (17-5, 10-2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) with 15 points, Robert Olson had 14 and Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons) added 12. Shane Walker had a season-high 12rebounds plus seven points. Rider's 46 points were the fewest allowed by Loyola since it defeated Niagara in February 1992.

Loyola's basketball team reached the NCAA men's tournament last season, while Towson struggled mightily in the regular season. The Tigers have improved this year, but the Greyhounds were a little better as they secured a 65-53 victory Monday night at Reitz Arena. Loyola won without second-leading scorer Erik Etherly. Etherly, the preseason Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's Player of the Year, is day-to-day after he injured his shoulder in practice on Friday. The Greyhounds (6-1)