Second-Half Slump Sends Dartmouth to Defeat at Loyola

Sunday, November 21

Baltimore, Md.

12:00 PM

Dartmouth College

1-3

Loyola (Md.)

2-1

Dartmouth

Loyola (Md.)

Second-Half Slump Sends Dartmouth to Defeat at Loyola

11/21/2010 3:42:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Dartmouth

BALTIMORE, Md. — After playing to a stalemate in the first half, Dartmouth could not find its shooting stroke as host Loyola (Md.) pulled away in a 73-59 defeat at the Reitz Arena in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon. Jamal Barney led the Greyhounds (2-1) with 18 points, while junior David Rufful paced the Big Green (1-3) with a season-high 17 points.

Loyola dominated the glass throughout the contest, owning a 41-22 advantage in rebounds, which led to the Greyhounds outscoring Dartmouth in the paint, 41-18. While Dartmouth was able to overcome the deficit on the boards in the opening half by shooting 56.0 percent (14-of-25), the Greyhound defense held the Green to just 28.0 percent (7-of-28) over the final 20 minutes. Compounding the problem for Dartmouth was some hot shooting by Loyola, which canned 13-of-21 (.619) to finish the game at an even 50 percent (25-of-50).

Dartmouth had a promising start by holding the lead for the first seven-and-a-half minutes. Senior Clive Weeden and junior Jabari Trotter each hit a jumper for the quick 4-0 lead, and senior Ronnie Dixon hit consecutive shots — including a three-pointer — before Rufful gave the Big Green their biggest lead at 13-8 with a layup.

But the Greyhounds got some offense going, scoring eight straight points with Dylon Cormier draining a three to give Loyola the lead. The differential was never more than five points in the first half, and Dartmouth had four straight possessions during which it trailed by just one, yet could never get over the hump and take the lead back.

Sophomore R.J. Griffin did tie the score at 31 with just over four minutes left in the half, and following a Shane Walker layup that put Loyola up by two, freshman Gediminas Bertasius sank a short jumper in the paint to send the teams into the locker room knotted at 33.

A Trotter three-pointer early in the second half briefly gave the Green a one-point edge, 36-35, but Barney quickly provided a layup igniting a 9-0 Greyhound run. Rufful ended a scoreless stretch of nearly five minutes with a layup, but Dartmouth would never again get closer than six points.

Barney gave Loyola its first double-digit lead with a three-pointer with 10:26 to play. The Big Green got down by 14 before seven consecutive points on a Rufful triple, a layup by sophomore Mbiyimoh Ghogomu and a pair of free throws by Griffin to get back into the game.

Dartmouth was still trailing by seven with 2:28 to go, but the Greyhounds scored 12 of the next 14 points to put the game out of reach.

Rufful did all he could to keep the Big Green in the game, scoring 11 of his 17 points in the second half and leading the team in rebounding for the fourth time in four games with five. Trotter scored in double figures for the third straight game, tallying 12 with two treys.

Joining Barney in double figures for Loyola were Anthony Winbush and reserve Robert Olson with 11 apiece, and Cormier had eight of the 41 Greyhound rebounds.

Dartmouth will play its third game in five days when it hosts the Northeast Conference favorite Quinnipiac on Tuesday evening at Leede Arena at 7 p.m. Loyola will play its first road game of the season at Vermont on Wednesday at 7 p.m.