Game Data

Loyola University Maryland plays its penultimate game of the 2011-2012 regular-season on Friday, February 24, 2012, when it takes on Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J. Tip-off is slated for 7 o’clock.

On The Tube

The game will be televised live on ESPN2, the Greyhounds’ 11th televised game of the season. Doug Sherman will call the play-by-play, and former North Carolina State star Dereck Whittenburg will provide color analysis.

The game is Loyola’s first on ESPN2 since December 31, 2008, when it played Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Series History

Loyola and Rider will meet for the 39th time in series history when the teams take the floor on Friday with the Broncs holding a 22-16 lead in the previous 38 games.

The Greyhounds have won five of the last eight meetings between the teams.

The teams played just three weeks ago with Loyola coming out with a 63-46 win in front of a national television audience on ESPNU and sell-out crowd at Reitz Arena. Loyola held Rider to 13-percent shooting from the field in the first half and 12 points before the break.

Rider, which never led in the game, got back to within 13 points with less than 13 minutes to go in the game, but the Broncs would draw no closer.

Erik Etherly led all players with 15 points, and Robert Olson scored 14. Shane Walker had a game-high 12 rebounds for the Greyhounds.

20-Win Season

The Greyhounds’ victory over Boston University last Sunday was their 20th of the season, setting a school Division I record.

Loyola, which moved to NCAA Division I in 1981-1982, had won 19 games in 2007-2008 and 18 in 2006-2007.

More Than 60 Years

The last time the Loyola men’s basketball program won 20 games in a season, 1948-1949, the following things were going on in the world, 63 years ago:

Harry Truman began his first full term as President of the United States.

Arthur Miller’s Death Of A Salesman premiered on Broadway.

NATO was formed.

The Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League merged to form the NBA.

The first jet-powered airliner, the de Havilland Comet, took flight.

Billy Joel, Joe Theismann, Bruce Springsteen & Meryl Streep were born.

Milestones And Firsts

Loyola has accomplished several milestones and firsts throughout the 2011-2012 season. Here is a sample of a few:

First 20-win season in Division I history.

Tied record with 12 MAAC wins (2006-2007 & 2007-2008).

Tied school Division I record with eight non-conference wins (1993-1994).

Longest winning streak in school Division I history (8, Nov. 14-Dec. 10). Also, second longest winning streak in D-I history (7, Jan. 19-Feb. 10).

First back-to-back sellouts of Reitz Arena since the venue opened in 1984 (Feb. 3 and 10).

Snapped Bucknell’s 18-game home court winning streak.

On Target

Robert Olson rebounded from a subpar shooting performance last Wednesday at Marist with one of his best shooting games as a Greyhound.

Olson scored just four points on 2-of-10 from the field against the Red Foxes, but he missed just one shot (6-of-7) to finish with 17 points against the Red Foxes.

The junior guard made 5-of-6 3-pointers, 4-of-4 in the second half, and also had three assists and four rebounds.

Second Half Shooting

Loyola started the game making just 3-of-11 shots in the first 12 minutes and was only 10-of-29 (.345) from the floor in the first half, but the Greyhounds picked up their percentage drastically in the second half.

Loyola made 15-of-21 shots after the break, going a season-best 71.4-percent from the field in the second half.

Back In Balance

During the Greyhounds’ two-game losing streak against Fairfield and Marist, several factors contributed to their demise, including lack of balanced scoring.

At Marist, Shane Walker (16) and Dylon Cormier (11) were the only Greyhounds in double-figures, and versus Fairfield, Erik Etherly and Robert Olson (both 17) were the only ones to top 10 points.

In the win over Boston U., four Greyhounds scored 11 or more: Olson (17), Cormier (14), Justin Drummond (12) and Etherly (11).

Loyola is 10-1 this season when four or more players score in double figures, having not lost since the season-opener on November 11 at Wake Forest when that occurs. The Greyhounds are 19-2 when three or more players top 10.

Transversely, the Greyhounds are just 1-5 when two or fewer players tally 10 or more with the only win coming on December 7 at George Washington.

Last Time Out

Robert Olson hit four of his five three points in the second half and helped Loyola pull away from Boston University for a 69-56 Bracketbuster victory on Sunday. Olson finished with 17 points, needing just seven shots to score that number.

Olson broke a 34-34 tie with his first three of the second half, sparking a 16-3 Loyola run that would put them in front by 13 with 11:28 to play. The Terriers would get it back to four with less than six minutes, but another Olson trey would push it to seven and start a 13-2 stretch for the Greyhounds.

Telling Stats

Loyola’s two most recent losses underscored the importance for the Greyhounds of capitalizing on a few areas of the box score.

Six of Loyola’s seven losses have come when scoring fewer transition points – and the seventh loss was in a game that the teams tied in the category – than its opponents.

The Greyhounds also dropped to 2-5 this year in the seven games they have shot fewer free throws than their opponents, compared to 15-2 when shooting more.

Loyola is also 4-7 when its opponents have a better field-goal percentage, compared to 15-0 when the Greyhounds shoot at a better clip.

Balance Abound

Loyola enters last week of its regular season as one of only two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference teams (Rider) to boast four players with double-figure scoring averages, although the Broncs have six.

The Greyhounds are the only team with four players who have averages of 10.0 points per game or greater – Dylon Cormier (13.8), Erik Etherly (13.3), Robert Olson (11.8) and Justin Drummond (11.1).

Leading The Charge

Erik Etherly and Robert Olson have been the Greyhounds’ two most consistent scorers since the calendar flipped to 2012, averaging a combined 28.4 points per game since January 5, a span of 14 games in which they are 11-3.

Olson has scored three more points than Olson during those 14 games, 200-197 and averages 14.3 points to Etherly’s 14.1.

Combined, the duo is shooting 51.5-percent from the field (136-of-264). Olson is 43-of-79 (.544) from behind the 3-point line, as well.

Etherly also leads Loyola with a 7.4 rebounds per game mark during the last 13 games, while Olson is third on the team, averaging 4.0.

Tops In Conference Play, Too

Robert Olson and Erik Etherly have also paced the Greyhounds in their 16 MAAC games thus far as the top two scorers. Etherly again is slightly ahead of Olson, scoring-wise, tallying 216 (13.5 per game) points to Olson’s 212 (13.3).

Etherly has averaged 7.3 rebounds in 6 conference games, and Olson is third on the team with an average of 4.3.

Reitz Was Rockin’

The Greyhounds’ games in Reitz Arena against Rider and Iona were both been sellout crowds of 2,100. It marked the first time since Reitz opened in December 1984 that the gym has had back-to-back sellout crowds.

The crowd on February 3 against Rider was the building’s first sellout since November 14, 2008, against Mount St. Mary’s.

Still Crashing The Offensive Boards

The Greyhounds corrected one problem from the loss to Fairfield in which they had just 10 offensive rebounds in 36 opportunities. They pulled down 18 against Marist, their most since grabbing 22 on January 29 at Canisius. Shane Walker led the way with six, while Justin Drummond and Jordan Latham each had three.

Loyola leads the MAAC in offensive rebounding as a team, averaging 13.9, a full rebound more per game that second-place Canisius (12.9).

Despite the team ranking, no Greyhounds player is higher than seventh in the conference in offensive rebounds per game. Erik Etherly is seventh with 2.6, while Drummond is 13th with 2.1, and Walker is 15th with 2.0. No other team in the MAAC has more than two players in the top 15.

Offensive Onslaught

Loyola turned in season highs in points (87), field goals made (32) and field goals attempted (63) at home against Iona.

The Greyhounds’ 47 points in the first half were also the most they’ve scored in the first 20 minutes this season and were tied for the most in either half, matching the 47 scored on November 14 against Coppin State in the second half.

Eight Field Goals For Three

Three Greyhounds knocked down eight or more field goals versus the Gaels. Erik Etherly was 9-of-12 from the field, Justin Drummond 8-of-12, and Dylon Cormier 8-of-16.

It was the first time in the eight-year tenure of Jimmy Patsos as head coach that three or more players have made eight or more baskets in the same game.

Etherly, Cormier Top 20

For the second time this year, Erik Etherly and Dylon Cormier both topped the 20-point mark. The duo also accomplished the feat on November 17 at UMBC when Etherly scored a career-best 27, and Cormier finished with 20.

Against Iona, Etherly and Cormier’s combined 44 points were just over half of the Greyhounds’ 87.

Drummond Raises Efficiency

Justin Drummond had his best shooting night of the season versus Iona, making 8-of-12 shots (.667). Drummond, who shot .446 as a freshman last year, has seen his field-goal percentage dip to .387 this year.

His previous best outing of the season came on December 28 at Bucknell when he was 5-of-8 (.625) from the floor.

Defensive Presence

Jordan Latham did not play in the Greyhounds’ first meeting with Iona, an 11-point setback, but the sophomore forward made his presence known last Friday night.

He came off the bench and played 14 minutes and had four blocked shots. Three of his blocks were not just redirects, but true swats of the ball. Each of his blocked shots came against different Iona players and in different situations. Twice, Latham swatted shots by driving guards, and he twice denied post players.

The four blocks were a career-high for Latham.

R.J.’s Assists Equal Success

R.J. Williams recorded five assists in the win over Iona, the fourth time this year he’s dished out five or more. The Greyhounds are 7-0 this season in games that Williams has four or more helpers.

As a team, the Greyhounds are 4-0 this year when recorded 15 or more assists.

Six Under Sixty

For the first time in its NCAA Division I history (since 1981-1982), Loyola held six consecutive opponents to fewer than 60 points.

During the span, all Loyola victories, the Greyhounds have held Siena, Saint Peter’s (twice), Niagara, Canisius and Rider to an average of 53.2 points per game.

The Greyhounds previously had held three teams to sub-60 performances just once since joining Division I, and that came during 1981-1982, their first season at this level.

The last time a Loyola team held six-straight teams under 60, regardless of division, came in January-February 1977 when it held six teams in a row – Southampton, Saint Peter’s, Randolph-Macon, Mount St. Mary’s, Baltimore and Philadelphia Textile – to 59 or fewer. The Greyhounds, however, were just 3-3 in that stretch.

During The Six

Loyola’s success during the six games was reflected in several statistics. Opponents were shooting .387, .046 lower than the season average of .433. Also, Loyola held foes to .241 from 3-point range, more than 10 points lower than the season mark of .350.

Following the Greyhounds’ game at Iona on January 15, Loyola was ranked 265th in field-goal percentage defense (.449), 325th in 3-point defense (.389), and 163rd in scoring defense (66.2).

After the six games the Greyhounds to 193rd in field goal percentage defense (.443), 215th in 3-point defense (.350) and 71st in scoring defense (62.8).

Olson’s January, Continued

After a stretch of not scoring in double figures for the last three games of December and the first two in January, Robert Olson was the Greyhounds’ leading scorer during the first month of the new calendar year, averaging 14.1.

In Loyola’s last 14 games, a stretch in which the Greyhounds are 11-3, Olson has averaged a team-best 14.3 points per game, most on the team.

Overall this season, Olson is shooting 46.1-percent from 3-point range, and his 59 threes made this season are 11th in school single-season history. His 3-point field goal percentage currently stands third in school single-season history.

Olson has made 131 threes in his career, good for sixth-best all-time at Loyola, passing Gerald Brown (2006-2008) in the game against Fairfield.

Something Had To Give

Entering the first meeting with Rider, Loyola had held four consecutive opponents to 57 or fewer points, while the Broncs were averaging 87.5 points in their previous three games.

Loyola’s defense prevailed in the contest, holding Rider to 12 points in the first half and just 46 overall. It was the Broncs’ lowest scoring game since February 2008 when Fairfield held them to 40.

Almost 20 Years

Rider’s 46 points were the fewest Loyola has allowed since the Greyhounds defeated Niagara, 68-45, on February 21, 1992, a stretch of 521 games.

Loyola has now held opponents to 49 or fewer points eight times since joining NCAA Division I in 1981-1982. The Greyhounds did it twice each in 1981-1982, 1984-1985 and 1991-1992 and once in 1983-1984.

Tied For fifth In Road Wins

As of the beginning of the week, Loyola’s 10 road wins had them tied for fifth in all of NCAA Division I for victories away from its home court.

Cleveland State, Wagner, Iona and Murray State are all tied for first with 11.

Walker Moves Into Second

Shane Walker blocked two Fairfield shots in the first three minutes of the game, and he then swatted a Maurice Barrow layup with 13:58 on the clock, tying him for second all-time at Loyola in blocked shots.

With five blocks against Canisius, Walker now has 124 blocks in his career and is all alone in second place. Brian Carroll (1997-2001) holds the school record with 213.

Thievery

Loyola caused 20 Siena turnovers, and the Greyhounds were credited with 19 steals. R.J. Williams led the way with a career-high five, while Erik Etherly, Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson each had three.

The 19 steals are the second-most in school history, one more than the Greyhounds posted in a November 29, 1997, game at Kent State. It is also the most Loyola has recorded against a Division I opponent. The school single-game record of 20 came on February 28, 1996, when the team closed the regular-season against St. Mary’s (Md.).

Running Away

Runs have been a big part of the Greyhounds’ success this year. Here is a look at some runs of note:

Century Mark

Head Coach Jimmy Patsos became the third coach in Loyola history to win 100 games when the Greyhounds defeated UMBC, 73-63, on the road. Patsos, who is in his eighth season, took over a team that finished 1-27 during the 2002-2003 season. He won his 100th game in his 215th career game.

Last season, Patsos moved into third-place all time at Loyola in victories, trailing only Lefty Reitz (349 wins, 1937-44, 1945-61) and Nap Doherty (165, 1961-74).

Two Of A Kind

Although unofficial, research shows that Jimmy Patsos is one of only two coaches in the last 20 years to take a team that won just one game the year prior to his arrival.

Brigham Young finished the 1996-1997 season with a 1-25 record. Steve Cleveland took over the following season and tallied 138 wins until his departure for Fresno State after the 2004-2005 season.

Men’s & Women’s Coaches With 100

Loyola University Maryland is one of just 26 mid-major schools that has men’s and women’s basketball coaches with 100 or more victories at their current school after Greyhound women’s coach Joe Logan got his 100th on December 18 in a win at George Washington.

Loyola is the only school in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to have accomplished the feat, and it is one of only five institutions at which the coaches have both won 100 or more games in 10 or fewer seasons.

Getting To The Line

As a team, Loyola went to the free-throw line 46 times at UMBC, making 31. The 46 attempts are the sixth-most all-time and most since the 2004-2005 squad attempted 53 on December 5, 2004, against Niagara.

Loyola’s 31 free throws made rank 11th on the school single-game chart and were the most since making 32 on January 14, 2009, versus NJIT.

Although his shot was not falling at UMBC, Dylon Cormier still found ways to be productive on the offensive end of the floor. The sophomore guard was just 2-of-9 from the field, but he went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15, and finished with 20 points.

Cormier’s 15 free throws made are tied for sixth in Loyola single-game history, matching the total made by Mike Powell at Saint Peter’s on December 6, 1997, and Donovan Thomas against Marist on February 23, 2003. The 15 makes were the most by a Loyola player since Jamal Barney set the school record with 18 on January 14, 2009, against NJIT. His 17 attempts rank tied for sixth all-time.

Baltimore Bred And More From Nearby

Since taking over as head coach in 2004, Jimmy Patsos has put an emphasis on recruiting locally, and it has never shown as much as on this year’s roster. Three players – sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), sophomore forward Jordan Latham (City) and freshman guard R.J. Williams (St. Frances) are products of schools within the city limits.

Six more players played in high school within 50 miles of Loyola, as the crow flies (thanks daftlogic.com): Shane Walker & Tyler Hubbard, Montrose Christian, 32.6 miles; Robert Olson, Georgetown Prep, 33.9; Justin Drummond, Riverdale Baptist, 33.9; Anthony Winbush, T.C. Williams, 43.7; and Erik Etherly, Annandale, 47.9.

What’s Next

The Greyhounds stay on the road for their final game of the 2011-2012 regular-season when they take on Manhattan College at 4 o’clock on Sunday at Draddy Gymnasium in Riverdale, N.Y.

Game Data

Loyola University Maryland will round off a two-game homestand on Sunday, January 22, when it hosts Saint Peter’s College at 12 noon in Reitz Arena.

The game is the first of two over the next two weeks the teams will play. The Greyhounds travel to Jersey City, N.J., for a Super Bowl Sunday contest against the Peacocks on Sunday, February 5, at 2 p.m.

Series History

Sunday’s meeting will be the 75th all-time contest between Jesuit schools Saint Peter’s and Loyola. The series is Loyola’s second-most played series amongst the Greyhounds current opponents, trailing only Mount St. Mary’s.

Saint Peter’s holds a 42-32 advantage in the all-time series after the teams split during last year’s regular season, each winning on the other’s home floor. The Peacocks, however, won a meeting with the Greyhounds in the MAAC Quarterfinals, 70-60, in Bridgeport, Conn, en route to winning the MAAC Championship Game.

The fourth-seeded Peacocks shot 52.3-percent from the floor in a game that also featured 50 free-throw attempts. Justin Drummond scored a game-high 18 points off the bench in the game for Loyola, while Shane Walker and Erik Ethelry each had 13.

500 Club x2

Two Loyola players passed the 500 milestones in various statistical categories on Thursday night against Siena.

Dylon Cormier reached the 500-point mark in his 46th collegiate game, and Shane Walker became the 18th player to reach 500 rebounds in a Loyola uniform.

Through 18

Loyola’s 13-5 start through its first 18 games of the season ranks as the fourth-best start during in that many games in program history. It is the best 18-game start since the Greyhounds moved up to NCAA Division I for the 1981-1982 season, improving on the 11-7 mark that Jimmy Patsos’ 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 team, and Skip Prosser’s 1993-1994 squad puts together.

The start is the best since 1970-1971 when Nap Doherty’s Greyhounds had the same 14-4 mark and went on to finish 19-7 and win the Mason-Dixon Conference Championship.

The best start through 18 games came in 1940-1941 when the squad led by Emil ‘Lefty’ Reitz went 15-3 through 18. The 1940-1941 team finished 19-4.

Free Webstreaming

Fans who can’t make it to the game on Thursday have multiple options for catching the action from Reitz Arena. In addition to live stats and internet audio, all non-televised home contests, will be broadcast free of charge on Hounds Unleashed, the broadcast arm of LoyolaGreyhounds.com. The games will be available on computers and most smart phone devices.

Jesuit Basketball Spotlight

Loyola’s game against Saint Peter’s is the third of six games the Greyhounds will play this season as part of the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight.

As one of 28 Jesuit Catholic universities around the nation, Loyola is a proud participant in the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight again this season. The Greyhounds are 2-0 in Jesuit Basketball Spotlight games this season with wins over Canisius and Fairfield.

Good MAAC Start

With wins in six of its first eight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference games this season, Loyola is off to its best start in league play since opening 7-1 in 2006-2007. That year, the Greyhounds lost their conference opener and then reeled off seven in a row.

Stretch Run

Loyola used its largest run of the season to rally from seven down and defeat Siena, 66-55. The Saints took a 47-40 advantage with 10:35 to play, but a Dylon Cormier three 25 ticks of the clock later, after a Justin Drummond offensive rebound, sparked a 22-2 run that saw the Greyhounds take a 62-49 lead with under three minutes remaining.

Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson each scored eight points during the run, a stretch Loyola also turned up the defensive intensity. The Saints had seven turnovers in that nearly eight-minute run, and they were just 1-of-9 from the field as Loyola outscored them by 20.

Scoring Off Drummond’s Second Chances

Justin Drummond grabbed four offensive rebounds on Thursday, and the Greyhounds scored following each one. Drummond immediate put the ball back up and in after two of his rebounds for four of his nine points. He also kicked the ball out to R.J. Williams who found Dylon Cormier on the left side for a three after a long Drummond rebound with just over 10 minutes to left in the game.

Drummond also grabbed an offensive rebound after a missed free throw, and following a Loyola timeout, Robert Olson scored a driving layup with 54 seconds remaining. In all, the Greyhounds scored nine of their 17 second-chance points off Drummond rebounds.

Bench Press

Loyola played just three players – Julius Brooks, Justin Drummond and Anthony Winbush – off its bench on Thursday, but the Greyhounds outscored Siena’s subs, 17-0. Drummond scored nine, and Winbush matched his season-high with eight.

12 Plus 12 Equals Number 24

Erik Ethelry turned in a combined point-rebound performance worthy of his number 24 on Thursday night. He logged his seventh double-double of the year with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds versus the Saints.

Etherly, who also had three blocked shots and three steals, secured five of his rebounds on the offensive end.

Loyola is 6-1 this season when Etherly had a double-double performance, the only loss coming when Etherly had 14 points and 11 rebounds at then-No. 3 Kentucky.

In the Greyhounds’ last four games, dating back to the January 7 contest against Canisius, Etherly is averaging 12.8 points and 8.0 rebounds.

Olson’s Last Four

After a stretch of not scoring in double figures for five consecutive games, Robert Olson has led Loyola in the points column over the last four.

The junior guard scored what was then a season-high 19 at Mount St. Mary’s, but in Loyola’s next five games  – at St. Bonaventure, Kentucky and Bucknell and home versus Niagara and Manhattan – Olson scored nine points twice and eight points three times.

Since then, however, his low total is 15, coming in a win at Fairfield where he scored seven points in a 23-second stretch with under two minutes left that took Loyola from down seven to tied.

Olson is averaging 17.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game during the recent stretch. He is shooting .610 from the field (25-of-41) and a more impressive .625 (15-of-24) from 3-point range.

He scored a career-high 21 points last Sunday at Iona, making 8-of-13 shots and 5-of-8 from behind the arc. On Thursday night versus Siena, Olson tallied eight points during Loyola’s 22-2 run and finished with 16.

Identical Numbers In Sweep Of Saints

Loyola did not shoot the ball particularly well in either of its wins this season against Siena. In fact the Greyhounds had identical nights from the field, going 23-of-61 (.377) in both games.

Moreover, they scored 66 in both outings against the Saints. In December, the Greyhounds made eight 3-pointers versus Siena, compared to five on Thursday. But, on Thursday, they sank 15 free throws as opposed to 12 in Albany.

Rebounding Rejuvenated

Loyola was outrebounded by 15, its worst showing of the season, last Sunday at Iona, but the Greyhounds bounced back against Siena. The Saints feature the nation’s leading rebounder, O.D. Anosike, and while he had 11 boards, it was more than a full rebound below his average.

Anoskie accounted for 11 of Siena’s 29 rebounds, while Loyola had 40. Erik Ethelry pulled down 12 to lead all players, and Shane Walker grabbed seven. Three other Loyola players had four each.

Last Time Out

Kyle Downey made two free throws with 10:35 to play, but 25 seconds later Dylon Cormier made a 3-pointer from the left side that sparked a 15-0 run, and Loyola extended that stretch to 22-2, in a 66-55 win over Siena Thursday night.

Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson each scored eight of their 17 and 16 points, respectively during the 22-2 run, and Erik Etherly chipped in with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

All The Way Back

Loyola trailed by 15 points with 16:42 to play in the second half when two Keith Matthews free throws gave Fairfield a 45-30 lead last Friday night. The Greyhounds, however, outscored the Stags 36-18 from that point forward to win, 66-63.

The 15-point deficit overcome was the largest erased by a Loyola team since the Greyhounds came back from a 20-point Coppin State lead in the first half on December 10, 2008, to defeat the Eagles, 73-70.

Second In Road Wins

As of the beginning of the week, Loyola’s seven road wins have them tied for second in all of NCAA Division I for victories away from its home court.

Cleveland State leads the nation with eight, while the Greyhounds’ seven wins away from Reitz Arena are matched with fellow Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference side Iona, Lehigh, Middle Tennessee State, No. 15/14 Murray State, Oral Roberts and Wagner for the second place with seven.

The seven road wins also match Loyola’s total from all of last year when it was 7-8 away from home.

Olson Scores In Bunches

Robert Olson scored seven points in a 23-second stretch versus Fairfield, going on a 7-0 run by himself. Fairfield led 62-55 when Olson pulled up for an 18-foot jumper with 1:42 left in regulation. He then hit a shot with his foot on the 3-point line 15 ticks later to make it a 3-point Stags lead. The junior guard tied the game at 62-62 with 1:19 on the clock with a three from the right side.

Olson finished with 15 points, 13 coming in the second half. Earlier in the stanza, an Olson three at the 14:38 mark cut Fairfield’s largest lead of 15 to 12, and he then knocked one down with 10:04 on the clock.

It was the second game in a row Olson has scored seven-straight points in the second half. He went on a personal 7-0 run against Canisius to move Loyola’s lead back to 11 after the Golden Griffins cut it to four.

The second half has often been a big one for Olson. Last year, he scored nine points in 83 seconds to help defeat Morgan State, and against Iona in Baltimore, Olson made a three pointer with seven ticks of the clock left to tie and send the game to overtime. He then scored the game’s last four points to secure the victory.

Cormier’s Steals Help The Cause

Robert Olson’s 7-0 run would not have been possible if not for two Dylon Cormier steals in the backcourt. Cormier tied up Rakim Sanders on the inbound pass after Olson’s first bucket, creating a jump ball with the possession arrow in Loyola’s favor.

Cormier then stole the ball from Fairfield’s Derek Needham after Olson’s second jumper, and he fed a pass to Olson for the game-tying three.

Cormier was one off his career-high with four steals against the Stags. He set his career-best of five just one game prior, against Canisius.

With his nine steals in the Greyhounds’ last two games, Cormier has moved into the MAAC lead with 2.0 steals per game. Loyola tops the conference, averaging 8.6 a contest.

Cormier also tied his career-best with a team-high four assists against Fairfield.

Walker Moves Into Second

Shane Walker blocked two Fairfield shots in the first three minutes of the game, and he then swatted a Maurice Barrow layup with 13:58 on the clock, tying him for second all-time at Loyola in blocked shots.

Walker now has 117 blocks in his career, matching the total of George Sereikas from 1989-1993. Brian Carroll (1997-2001) holds the school record with 213.

Everyone On The Offensive Boards

Loyola leads the MAAC in offensive rebounding as a team, averaging 14.4, more than a full offensive board a game higher than second-place Canisius (13.2).

Despite the team ranking, no Greyhounds player is higher than sixth in the conference in offensive rebounds per game. Erik Etherly is sixth with 2.6, while Justin Drummond is 10th with 2.3, just ahead of teammate Dylon Cormier in 13th.

No other league team has more than two players in the top 15 of the statistical category.

3-Point Shooting Back On Track

In its first MAAC loss of the season, a 66-61 defeat on January 2 against Niagara, the Greyhounds shot just 4-of-20 from 3-point range, its worst effort from behind the arc since going 2-of-14 at UMBC on November 17.

Loyola improved by 21 percentage points against Manhattan, going 7-of-17, and it then turned in its third-best 3-point shooting outing of the season on Saturday versus Canisius. The Greyhounds made 9-of-17 (.529), behind only their 6-of-11 (.545) at George Washington and 8-of-15 (.533) versus Marist. The Greyhounds were then .500 from 3-point range (7-of-14) against Fairfield.

Robert Olson and Dylon Cormier did most of the damage against the Golden Griffins and Stags. Olson was 7-of-11, and Cormier made 5-of-10.

Etherly As A Distributor

Against Niagara and Manhattan, Erik Etherly tied or set career-highs in assists, and the 6-foot-7 forward leads the team in assists through 15 games this year.

On Thursday against Manhattan, Etherly had a career-best seven assists, eclipsing his previous mark of four, a number he has posted twice this year, including Monday against Niagara.

This year, Etherly has 36 assists, an average of 2.4 per game, tops on the team. He also leads the Greyhounds in rebounds with 7.5 a contest, and he is the only player in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to lead his team in both rebounds and assists.

Against the Jaspers, Etherly scored eight points and led all players with seven assists and six rebounds. He also had a block and a steal.

Keeping Them Close

For the third time this season, and the second time in three games, Loyola won a game in which neither team led by more than seven points. Manhattan’s largest advantage on Thursday was just four points, while the Greyhounds were never up by more than six.

At Bucknell on December 28, Loyola never led by more than five, and the Bison were only up three on occasions. In November, the Greyhounds defeated New Hampshire on the road in a contest separated by no more than seven.

This year, Loyola is 8-2 in games that are decided by 10 or fewer points.

Second Time With Twenty

Justin Drummond topped the 20-point plateau for the second time in four games when he led all players with 23 points on Monday night against Niagara. The 23 points were his second-most in a game during his career at Loyola, three behind the 26 he scored on December 18 at St. Bonaventure.

Drummond made 9-of-16 shots form the field and 4-of-5 from the line against the Purple Eagles.

Drummond also led all players Monday with nine rebounds and five offensive boards, and nine of his 23 points came as a direct result of his own offensive rebounds.

Road Warriors

The game at Bucknell closed a six-game road trip for the Greyhounds, a venture away from Baltimore on which Loyola finished 4-2 with its only losses coming at St. Bonaventure and No. 3 Kentucky.

The roadtrip is the longest in school Division I history (since 1981-1982), stretching longer than multiple five-game swings, the most recent coming from December 21, 2008-January 5, 2009. That trip took Loyola from Northern California (UC-Davis) to North Carolina (Duke and North Carolina State) and Western New York (Canisius and Niagara). The Greyhounds went 2-3 against those teams.

Honors Abound For Cormier

Loyola sophomore guard Dylon Cormier picked up a couple of awards for his recent play, earning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week and Jesuit Basketball Spotlight National Player of the Week honors on December 12, both for the first time in his career.

Cormier averaged 20.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in a pair of wins over George Washington University and Mount St. Mary’s University.

This season, Cormier leads Loyola in scoring (16.8), 3-point percentage (.424) and steals (1.8) and is third in rebounding (5.0).

Thievery

Loyola caused 20 Siena turnovers, and the Greyhounds were credited with 19 steals. R.J. Williams led the way with a career-high five, while Erik Etherly, Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson each had three.

The 19 steals are the second-most in school history, one more than the Greyhounds posted in a November 29, 1997, game at Kent State. It is also the most Loyola has recorded against a Division I opponent. The school single-game record of 20 came on February 28, 1996, when the team closed the regular-season against St. Mary’s (Md.).

Running Away

Runs have been a big part of the Greyhounds’ success this year. Here is a look at some runs of note:

Century Mark

Head Coach Jimmy Patsos became the third coach in Loyola history to win 100 games when the Greyhounds defeated UMBC, 73-63, on the road. Patsos, who is in his eighth season, took over a team that finished 1-27 during the 2002-2003 season. He won his 100th game in his 215th career game.

Last season, Patsos moved into third-place all time at Loyola in victories, trailing only Lefty Reitz (349 wins, 1937-44, 1945-61) and Nap Doherty (165, 1961-74).

Two Of A Kind

Although unofficial, research shows that Jimmy Patsos is one of only two coaches in the last 20 years to take over a team that won just one game the year prior to his arrival.

Brigham Young finished the 1996-1997 season with a 1-25 record. Steve Cleveland took over the following season and tallied 138 wins until his departure for Fresno State after the 2004-2005 season.

Men’s & Women’s Coaches With 100

Loyola University Maryland is one of just 26 mid-major schools that has men’s and women’s basketball coaches with 100 or more victories at their current school after Greyhound women’s coach Joe Logan got his 100th on December 18 in a win at George Washington.

Loyola is the only school in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to have accomplished the feat, and it is one of only five institutions at which the coaches have both won 100 or more games in 10 or fewer seasons.

Getting To The Line

As a team, Loyola went to the free-throw line 46 times at UMBC, making 31. The 46 attempts are the sixth-most all-time and most since the 2004-2005 squad attempted 53 on December 5, 2004, against Niagara.

Loyola’s 31 free throws made rank 11th on the school single-game chart and were the most since making 32 on January 14, 2009, versus NJIT.

Although his shot was not falling at UMBC, Dylon Cormier still found ways to be productive on the offensive end of the floor. The sophomore guard was just 2-of-9 from the field, but he went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15, and finished with 20 points.

Cormier’s 15 free throws made are tied for sixth in Loyola single-game history, matching the total made by Mike Powell at Saint Peter’s on December 6, 1997, and Donovan Thomas against Marist on February 23, 2003. The 15 makes were the most by a Loyola player since Jamal Barney set the school record with 18 on January 14, 2009, against NJIT. His 17 attempts rank tied for sixth all-time.

Baltimore Bred And More From Nearby

Since taking over as head coach in 2004, Jimmy Patsos has put an emphasis on recruiting locally, and it has never shown as much as on this year’s roster. Three players – sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), sophomore forward Jordan Latham (City) and freshman guard R.J. Williams (St. Frances) are products of schools within the city limits.

Six more players played in high school within 50 miles of Loyola, as the crow flies (thanks daftlogic.com): Shane Walker & Tyler Hubbard, Montrose Christian, 32.6 miles; Robert Olson, Georgetown Prep, 33.9; Justin Drummond, Riverdale Baptist, 33.9; Anthony Winbush, T.C. Williams, 43.7; and Erik Etherly, Annandale, 47.9.

What’s Next

The Greyhounds embark on a two-game road trip next weekend when they travel to Western New York. Loyola plays at Niagara on Friday, January 27, and Canisius on Sunday, January 29.

Game Data

Loyola University Maryland wraps up a two-game road trip on Sunday, January 15, when it takes on Iona College at 3:30 p.m. in New Rochelle, N.Y. The game is the second part of a doubleheader, as Iona’s women take on Manhattan College at 1 p.m.

First place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference will be on the line Sunday. Loyola and Iona are both 5-1 in the league and enter the game knotted in the top spot.

Series History

Loyola and Iona will meet for the 54th time in series history when the teams take the court on Sunday. The Gaels hold a 40-12 advantage in the series, although Loyola won the most recent meeting, an overtime thriller on January 30, 2011.

Robert Olson tied the game with a 3-pointer with seven ticks left in regulation, sending the game to overtime where he put the Greyhounds up for good, 86-84, with a layup with 41.6 seconds on the clock.

Six Loyola players scored in double figures in the game – Brian Rudolph (19), J’hared Hall (15), Justin Drummond (14), Dylon Cormier (12), Erik Etherly (12) and Olson (12). It was the first time that a Loyola team had six players score in double figures since December 6, 1991, when the Greyhounds matched the feat in a 98-84 overtime home victory against Mount St. Mary’s.

Good MAAC Start

With wins in five of its first six Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference games this season, Loyola is off to its best start in league play since opening 7-1 in 2006-2007. That year, the Greyhounds lost their conference opener and then reeled off seven in a row.

The 5-1 mark is tied for the best start to MAAC play through six games, matching that of the 2006-2007 team.

Through 16

Loyola’s 12-4 start through its first 16 games of the season ranks as the fourth best start during in that many games in program history. It is the best 16-game start since the Greyhounds moved up to NCAA Division I for the 1981-1982 season, improving on the 11-5 mark that Jimmy Patsos’ 2005-2006 team put together.

The start is the best since 1970-1971 when Nap Doherty’s Greyhounds had the same 12-4 mark and went on to finish 19-7 and win the Mason-Dixon Conference Championship.

The best start through 16 games came in 1940-1941 when the squad led by Emil ‘Lefty’ Reitz went 3-3 through 16. The 1940-1941 team finished 19-4.

All The Way Back

Loyola trailed by 15 points with 16:42 to play in the second half when two Keith Matthews free throws gave Fairfield a 45-30 lead Friday night. The Greyhounds, however, outscored the Stags 36-18 from that point forward to win, 66-63.

The 15-point deficit overcome was the largest erased by a Loyola team since the Greyhounds came back from a 20-point Coppin State lead in the first half on December 10, 2008, to defeat the Eagles, 73-70.

Second In Road Wins

As of Friday night’s games, Loyola’s seven road wins have them tied for second in all of NCAA Division I for victories away from its home court.

Cleveland State leads the nation with eight, while the Greyhounds’ seven wins away from Reitz Arena are matched with fellow Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference side Iona, No. 15/14 Murray State and Wagner for the national lead with seven.

The seven road wins also match Loyola’s total from all of last year when it was 7-8 away from home.

Olson Scores In Bunches

Robert Olson scored seven points in a 23-second stretch Friday night, going on a 7-0 run by himself. Fairfield led 62-55 when Olson pulled up for an 18-foot jumper with 1:42 left in regulation. He then hit a shot with his foot on the 3-point line 15 ticks later to make it a 3-point Stags lead. The junior guard tied the game at 62-62 with 1:19 on the clock with a three from the right side.

Olson finished with 15 points, 13 coming in the second half. Earlier in the stanza, an Olson three at the 14:38 mark cut Fairfield’s largest lead of 15 to 12, and he then knocked one down with 10:04 on the clock.

It was the second game in a row Olson has scored seven-straight points in the second half. He went on a personal 7-0 run against Canisius to move Loyola’s lead back to 11 after the Golden Griffins cut it to four.

The second half has often been a big one for Olson. Last year, he scored nine points in 83 seconds to help defeat Morgan State, and against Iona in Baltimore, Olson made a three pointer with seven ticks of the clock left to tie and send the game to overtime. He then scored the game’s last four points to secure the victory.

Loyola is undefeated in the five games this season that Olson has made three or more 3-pointers. He is now fourth in the MAAC in 3-point field goal percentage (.413).

Cormier’s Steals Help The Cause

Robert Olson’s 7-0 run would not have been possible if not for two Dylon Cormier steals in the backcourt. Cormier tied up Rakim Sanders on the inbound pass after Olson’s first bucket, creating a jump ball with the possession arrow in Loyola’s favor.

Cormier then stole the ball from Fairfield’s Derek Needham after Olson’s second jumper, and he fed a pass to Olson for the game-tying three.

Cormier was one off his career-high with four steals against the Stags. He set his career-best of five just one game prior, against Canisius.

With his nine steals in the Greyhounds’ last two games, Cormier has moved into the MAAC lead with 2.0 steals per game. Loyola tops the conference, averaging 8.6 a contest.

Cormier also tied his career-best with a team-high four assists against Fairfield.

Walker Moves Into Second

Shane Walker blocked two Fairfield shots in the first three minutes of the game, and he then swatted a Maurice Barrow layup with 13:58 on the clock, tying him for second all-time at Loyola in blocked shots.

Walker now has 117 blocks in his career, matching the total of George Sereikas from 1989-1993. Brian Carroll (1997-2001) holds the school record with 213.

Doubled Up

Erik Etherly recorded his sixth double-double of the season and 11th of his career on Friday night when he finished with game highs of 17 points and 10 rebounds.

The junior forward had not posted a double-double this calender with his last coming on December 22, 2011, at then-No. 3 Kentucky.

Etherly’s production has been key to Loyola’s success this season, as the Greyhounds are 8-0 when he played 32 or more minutes in games.

Defensively Speaking

Loyola used two significant stretches of time Friday night in which it held Fairfield without a field goal en route to its comeback.

Ryan Olander made a three with 18:12 to go in the second half for the Stags, giving them a 14-point lead, but they did not make a shot from the field for nearly eight minutes until Rakim Sanders’ jumper at 10:19.

Fairfield did make 5-of-7 free throws during that stretch of seven minutes, 53 seconds, but it was 0-of-6 from the field during that time. The Stags still led by 10 after Sanders’ jumper, but an Olson three and layups by Erik Etherly and Justin Drummond made it a three-point game in the next three possessions.

Later, Loyola held Fairfield to just one field goal in the last two minutes as it went from seven down to the three-point win.

Productive Minutes For Winbush

Anthony Winbush played just 14 minutes Friday night, but he scored five points and had five rebounds in that time. He also played solid defense for the Greyhounds on the perimeter and in the post.

Winbush had both defensive rebounds for Loyola on the Stags’ final two missed shots in the last 10 minutes.

Slowing Stag Options

Fairfield’s Rakim Sanders scored just over a point above his season average on Friday night, finishing with 17 after entering the game averaging 15.8 points per game.

Loyola, however, limited the production of Fairfield’s next three scorers, holding Derek Needham (11.2 points per game prior to contest), Ryan Olander (10.8) and Maurice Barrow (10.8) to four, three and six points, respectively on 6-of-22 shooting from the field.

Second-Half Rebounding

Fairfield led the rebounding battle, as well as the game at halftime, grabbing 19 first-half boards to Loyola’s 16. The Greyhounds reversed those numbers in the second, however, tallying 18 rebounds and holding the Stags to just 12.

Erik Etherly had seven of his boards after halftime to lead all players in the second half.

Last Time Out

Robert Olson scored seven of his 15 points during a 23-second stretch in the second half, erasing a 62-55 Fairfield advantage and tying the game with a three with 1:19 to play.

Dylon Cormier set up two of Olson’s buckets with steals in full-court press, and he recorded an assist on the three.

Desmond Wade made 1-of-2 from the free-throw line after the game-tying three, but then Cormier responded by making two of his own to give Loyola the lead for good in a 66-63 victory on the road. The Greyhounds made three defensive stops after Cormier’s shots to secure the game.

Everyone On The Offensive Boards

Loyola leads the MAAC in offensive rebounding as a team, averaging 14.4, more than a full offensive board a game higher than second-place Niagara (12.8).

Despite the team ranking, no Greyhounds player is higher than eighth in the conference in offensive rebounds per game. Erik Etherly is eighth with 2.6, while Dylon Cormier is 10th with 2.3, and Justin Drummond is 14th at 2.3.

No other league team has more than two players in the top 15 of the statistical category.

3-Point Shooting Back On Track

In its first MAAC loss of the season, a 66-61 defeat on January 2 against Niagara, the Greyhounds shot just 4-of-20 from 3-point range, its worst effort from behind the arc since going 2-of-14 at UMBC on November 17.

Loyola improved by 21 percentage points against Manhattan, going 7-of-17, and it then turned in its third-best 3-point shooting outing of the season on Saturday versus Canisius. The Greyhounds made 9-of-17 (.529), behind only their 6-of-11 (.545) at George Washington and 8-of-15 (.533) versus Marist. The Greyhounds were then .500 from 3-point range (7-of-14) against Fairfield.

Robert Olson and Dylon Cormier did most of the damage against the Golden Griffins and Stags. Olson was 7-of-11, and Cormier made 5-of-10.

Picking Up Where He Left Off

Last Thursday against Manhattan, Dylon Cormier was mired in a stretch of 115 minutes, 46 seconds without making a 3-pointer before he hit the game-winning trey with 3.1 seconds left to give the Greyhounds a 61-60 victory.

Prior to that shot, he had missed his last 10 3-point attempts: his last three at Bucknell, all five against Niagara and his first two versus Manhattan.

The game-winner sparked Cormier who went 3-of-5 from 3-point range and finished 8-of-13 from the field in the win over Canisius. He scored a game-high 23 points for his fifth 20-plus point effort of the season and sixth of his career. Cormier scored 16 of his points in the second half and was 6-of-10 from the field after the break.

Dominating On The Boards

All five Loyola players who saw 15 minutes or more of action against Canisius had four or more rebounds, and four had five or greater. The Greyhounds controlled a 42-24 advantage on the boards, and they allowed Canisius just six offensive rebounds while collecting 16 of their own.

Erik Etherly led the way with seven boards, while Dylon Cormier and Anthony Winbush each had six.

Loyola had 16 offensive rebounds in the game and scored 20 second-chance points.

Etherly As A Distributor

Against Niagara and Manhattan, Erik Etherly tied or set career-highs in assists, and the 6-foot-7 forward leads the team in assists through 15 games this year.

On Thursday against Manhattan, Etherly had a career-best seven assists, eclipsing his previous mark of four, a number he has posted twice this year, including Monday against Niagara.

This year, Etherly has 36 assists, an average of 2.4 per game, tops on the team. He also leads the Greyhounds in rebounds with 7.5 a contest, and he is the only player in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to lead his team in both rebounds and assists.

Against the Jaspers, Etherly scored eight points and led all players with seven assists and six rebounds. He also had a block and a steal.

Keeping Them Close

For the third time this season, and the second time in three games, Loyola won a game in which neither team led by more than seven points. Manhattan’s largest advantage on Thursday was just four points, while the Greyhounds were never up by more than six.

At Bucknell on December 28, Loyola never led by more than five, and the Bison were only up three on occasions. In November, the Greyhounds defeated New Hampshire on the road in a contest separated by no more than seven.

This year, Loyola is 8-2 in games that are decided by 10 or fewer points.

Second Time With Twenty

Justin Drummond topped the 20-point plateau for the second time in four games when he led all players with 23 points on Monday night against Niagara. The 23 points were his second-most in a game during his career at Loyola, three behind the 26 he scored on December 18 at St. Bonaventure.

Drummond made 9-of-16 shots form the field and 4-of-5 from the line against the Purple Eagles.

Drummond also led all players Monday with nine rebounds and five offensive boards, and nine of his 23 points came as a direct result of his own offensive rebounds.

Road Warriors

The game at Bucknell closed a six-game road trip for the Greyhounds, a venture away from Baltimore on which Loyola finished 4-2 with its only losses coming at St. Bonaventure and No. 3 Kentucky.

The roadtrip is the longest in school Division I history (since 1981-1982), stretching longer than multiple five-game swings, the most recent coming from December 21, 2008-January 5, 2009. That trip took Loyola from Northern California (UC-Davis) to North Carolina (Duke and North Carolina State) and Western New York (Canisius and Niagara). The Greyhounds went 2-3 against those teams.

A Little Bit Of Everything

Erik Etherly led Loyola in four statistical categories at Bucknell: points (18), rebounds (8), assists (4) and blocked shots (4). While it was atypical to lead the Greyhounds in all of the categories, Etherly has routinely topped the team in at least one category this season. He was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Week on January 2.

He has led the team in rebounding eight times (including ties); scoring, 4; assists, 5; steals, 4; blocked shots, 5.

Currently, Etherly paces the team in rebounds (95 total, 7.9 per game) and assists (26, 2.2), and he is second in scoring (156, 13.0) and minutes played (370, 30.8).

He is the only player in the MAAC currently leading his team in rebounds and assists.

Etherly has scored in double-figures in 21 of the Greyhounds’ last 23 games, going back to January 2011. He has averaged 14.1 in those contests.

Streak Snapped

St. Bonaventure University defeated Loyola 76-66, snapping the Greyhounds’ eight-game winning streak. Loyola had reeled off the span of wins since falling in its season-opener at Wake Forest.

The winning streak was the longest in the school’s NCAA Division I history (since 1981-82), and it is the longest since the 1964-1965 team won eight in a row during January and February.

Honors Abound For Cormier

Loyola sophomore guard Dylon Cormier picked up a couple of awards for his recent play, earning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week and Jesuit Basketball Spotlight National Player of the Week honors on December 12, both for the first time in his career.

Cormier averaged 20.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in a pair of wins over George Washington University and Mount St. Mary’s University.

This season, Cormier leads Loyola in scoring (16.8), 3-point percentage (.424) and steals (1.8) and is third in rebounding (5.0).

Thievery

Loyola caused 20 Siena turnovers, and the Greyhounds were credited with 19 steals. R.J. Williams led the way with a career-high five, while Erik Etherly, Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson each had three.

The 19 steals are the second-most in school history, one more than the Greyhounds posted in a November 29, 1997, game at Kent State. It is also the most Loyola has recorded against a Division I opponent. The school single-game record of 20 came on February 28, 1996, when the team closed the regular-season against St. Mary’s (Md.).

Running Away

Runs have been a big part of the Greyhounds’ success early this year. Here is a look at some runs of note:

Century Mark

Head Coach Jimmy Patsos became the third coach in Loyola history to win 100 games when the Greyhounds defeated UMBC, 73-63, on the road. Patsos, who is in his eighth season, took over a team that finished 1-27 during the 2002-2003 season. He won his 100th game in his 215th career game.

Last season, Patsos moved into third-place all time at Loyola in victories, trailing only Lefty Reitz (349 wins, 1937-44, 1945-61) and Nap Doherty (165, 1961-74).

Two Of A Kind

Although unofficial, research shows that Jimmy Patsos is one of only two coaches in the last 20 years to take over a team that won just one game the year prior to his arrival.

Brigham Young finished the 1996-1997 season with a 1-25 record. Steve Cleveland took over the following season and tallied 138 wins until his departure for Fresno State after the 2004-2005 season.

Men’s & Women’s Coaches With 100

Loyola University Maryland is one of just 26 mid-major schools that has men’s and women’s basketball coaches with 100 or more victories at their current school after Greyhound women’s coach Joe Logan got his 100th on December 18 in a win at George Washington.

Loyola is the only school in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to have accomplished the feat, and it is one of only five institutions at which the coaches have both won 100 or more games in 10 or fewer seasons.

Getting To The Line

As a team, Loyola went to the free-throw line 46 times at UMBC, making 31. The 46 attempts are the sixth-most all-time and most since the 2004-2005 squad attempted 53 on December 5, 2004, against Niagara.

Loyola’s 31 free throws made rank 11th on the school single-game chart and were the most since making 32 on January 14, 2009, versus NJIT.

Although his shot was not falling at UMBC, Dylon Cormier still found ways to be productive on the offensive end of the floor. The sophomore guard was just 2-of-9 from the field, but he went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15, and finished with 20 points.

Cormier’s 15 free throws made are tied for sixth in Loyola single-game history, matching the total made by Mike Powell at Saint Peter’s on December 6, 1997, and Donovan Thomas against Marist on February 23, 2003. The 15 makes were the most by a Loyola player since Jamal Barney set the school record with 18 on January 14, 2009, against NJIT. His 17 attempts rank tied for sixth all-time.

Baltimore Bred And More From Nearby

Since taking over as head coach in 2004, Jimmy Patsos has put an emphasis on recruiting locally, and it has never shown as much as on this year’s roster. Three players – sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), sophomore forward Jordan Latham (City) and freshman guard R.J. Williams (St. Frances) are products of schools within the city limits.

Six more players played in high school within 50 miles of Loyola, as the crow flies (thanks daftlogic.com): Shane Walker & Tyler Hubbard, Montrose Christian, 32.6 miles; Robert Olson, Georgetown Prep, 33.9; Justin Drummond, Riverdale Baptist, 33.9; Anthony Winbush, T.C. Williams, 43.7; and Erik Etherly, Annandale, 47.9.

What’s Next

The Greyhounds return to Reitz Arena for a pair of MAAC games in the next week. Loyola hosts Siena on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m., and it then hosts Saint Peter’s on Sunday at 12 noon.

Game Data

Loyola University Maryland returns to the road for the first of two games this weekend when it takes on Fairfield University on Friday, January 13, at 9 p.m., in Bridgeport, Conn.

The game will be played at Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard, the site of last year’s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships.

On The Tube

Loyola and Fairfield will play Friday in front of a national television audience. The game will be broadcast ESPNU as part of ESPNU College Basketball Built by the Home Depot. Doug Sherman will handle play-by-play duties, and he will be joined by Tim O’Toole who will provide color analysis.

The game is the seventh Loyola has played on television this season, and it is the first of at least four the Greyhounds will play during league action.

Jesuit Basketball Spotlight

Loyola’s game against Fairfield is the second of six games the Greyhounds will play this season as part of the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight.

As one of 28 Jesuit Catholic universities around the nation, Loyola is a proud participant in the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight again this season. The Greyhounds defeated Canisius in its last game, and in addition to today’s game, they will also face fellow MAAC Jesuits Fairfield (home, February 12) and Saint Peter’s (home, January 22; away, February 5) and Canisius (away, January 29).

Go to www.ajcunet.edu/jesuitbasketball for more information on the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight.

Series History

Loyola and Fairfield will meet for the 51st time on Friday with the Stags holding a 35-15 advantage.

The teams split a pair of games last season, each winning on its home floor. The Greyhounds edged Fairfield in a 66-65 thriller on January 14, 2011. J’hared Hall had 17 points off the Loyola bench and knocked down the go-ahead 3-pointer with just over two minutes left to break a 61-61 tie.

Fairfield defeated Loyola, 65-55, on December 5, 2010, the Greyhounds’ most recent trip to Harbor Yard.

Good MAAC Start

With wins in four of its five Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference games this season, Loyola is off to its best start in league play since opening 7-1 in 2006-2007. That year, the Greyhounds lost their conference opener and then reeled off seven in a row.

The 4-1 mark is tied for the best start to MAAC play through five games, matching that of the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 teams.

Through 15

Loyola’s 11-4 start through its first 15 games of the season ranks as the fourth best start during in that many games in program history. It is the best 15-game start since the Greyhounds moved up to NCAA Division I for the 1981-1982 season, improving on the 10-5 mark that Jimmy Patsos’ 2005-2006 team put together.

The start is the best since 1970-1971 when Nap Doherty’s Greyhounds had the same 11-4 mark and went on to finish 19-7 and win the Mason-Dixon Conference Championship.

The best start through 15 games came in 1930-1931 when the team coached by Walter Comerford played just 15 total games and finished the year 14-1. Two squads led by Emil ‘Lefty’ Reitz went 12-3 through 15. The 1940-1941 team finished 19-4, and the following year’s team ended the season 18-4 as Mason-Dixon champions.

3-Point Shooting Back On Track

In its first MAAC loss of the season, a 66-61 defeat on January 2 against Niagara, the Greyhounds shot just 4-of-20 from 3-point range, its worst effort from behind the arc since going 2-of-14 at UMBC on November 17.

Loyola improved by 21 percentage points against Manhattan, going 7-of-17, and it then turned in its third-best 3-point shooting outing of the season on Saturday versus Canisius. The Greyhounds made 9-of-17 (.529), behind only their 6-of-11 (.545) at George Washington and 8-of-15 (.533) versus Marist.

Robert Olson and Dylon Cormier did most of the damage against the Golden Griffins. Olson as 4-of-6, and Cormier made 3-of-5.

Olson On A Roll

Much of Loyola’s improved 3-point shooting over its last two games is thanks to Robert Olson. Entering last Thursday’s game against Manhattan, Olson had made just 4-of-18 threes (.222) dating back to the December 18 game at St. Bonaventure.

He was 3-of-3 versus the Jaspers, making all three in the second half, and he then made his first three from downtown against Canisius, finishing the game 4-of-6 against the Golden Griffins.

Olson leads Loyola with 23 3-pointers made this season and a .397 3-point field goal percentage.

Picking Up Where He Left Off

Last Thursday against Manhattan, Dylon Cormier was mired in a stretch of 115 minutes, 46 seconds without making a 3-pointer before he hit the game-winning trey with 3.1 seconds left to give the Greyhounds a 61-60 victory.

Prior to that shot, he had missed his last 10 3-point attempts: his last three at Bucknell, all five against Niagara and his first two versus Manhattan.

The game-winner sparked Cormier who went 3-of-5 from 3-point range and finisehd 8-of-13 from the field in the win over Canisius. He scored a game-high 23 points for his fifth 20-plus point effort of the season and sixth of his career. Cormier scored 16 of his points in the second half and was 6-of-10 from the field after the break.

Career Assist Day, Too

In addition to his 23 points, Cormier recorded a career-high five assists versus Canisius, helping Loyola to a season-best 18 helpers in the game. More impressively, Cormier did not commit a turnover in 32 minutes of action against the Golden Griffins.

Doing The Little Things

Anthony Winbush saw 25 minutes of action on Saturday against Canisius, and although he scored only four points, he come up big for the Greyhounds in several other areas.

Winbush pulled down six rebounds versus the Golden Griffins and played on both the perimeter and in the post for the Greyhounds.

Dominating On The Boards

All five Loyola players who saw 15 minutes or more of action against Canisius had four or more rebounds, and four had five or greater. The Greyhounds controlled a 42-24 advantage on the boards, and they allowed Canisius just six offensive rebounds while collecting 16 of their own.

Erik Etherly led the way with seven boards, while Dylon Cormier and Anthony Winbush each had six.

Loyola had 16 offensive rebounds in the game and scored 20 second-chance points.

Shooting In A Critical Stretch

Canisius cut Loyola’s one-time 15-point lead to just four with 10:14 to play, but Robert Olson scored the next seven points, and Dylon Cormier added a three after a Golden Griffins’ bucket to put Loyola up 12.

During the stretch, the Greyhounds made all four of its shots, while the Loyola defense held Canisius to 1-of-5 from the field. Loyola did not give up an offensive rebound during that span, and the Golden Griffins had just two second-chance opportunities in the entire second half.

Last Time Out

Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson combined to score 39 points, 10 of them during a 10-2 Greyhounds run that extended a four-point advantage to 11 late in the game.

Canisius, which trailed by 15 after an Anthony Winbush offensive rebound and putback, cut the Greyhounds’ lead to four, on an Alshwan Hymes three with 10:14 to play. The Golden Griffins had a chance to make it a two-point game on their next possession, but Harold Washington’s jumper went off the mark.

Olson scored the next seven points, his three pushing the Loyola lead to 64-53 with 7:28 to go before Washington momentarily stemmed the tide with a bucket at 7:11. Cormier, however, knocked down a three for Loyola to put its lead in double digits for good in a 77-62 win.

R.J. Steps Up Scoring

R.J. Williams scored Loyola’s first five points last Thursday night against Manhattan, a modest accomplishment, but the freshman point guard finished with a career-high 11 points.

He tallied nine in the first half, leading all scorers, to help the Greyhounds take a 31-30 advantage at the break. The 11 points eclipsed his previous best of eight that he tallied in back-to-back games against Florida Gulf Coast and Marist.

Williams is averaging 4.1 points per game, but in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference contests, his points per game mark rises to more than six.

Etherly As A Distributor

Against Niagara and Manhattan, Erik Etherly tied or set career-highs in assists, and the 6-foot-7 forward leads the team in assists through 15 games this year.

On Thursday against Manhattan, Etherly had a career-best seven assists, eclipsing his previous mark of four, a number he has posted twice this year, including Monday against Niagara.

This year, Etherly has 36 assists, an average of 2.4 per game, tops on the team. He also leads the Greyhounds in rebounds with 7.5 a contest, and he is the only player in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to lead his team in both rebounds and assists.

Against the Jaspers, Etherly scored eight points and led all players with seven assists and six rebounds. He also had a block and a steal.

Closing In On Second

After recording three blocks against Manhattan and seven in the Greyhounds’ last three games –  also three at Bucknell and one against Niagara – Shane Walker has moved closer to second place all-time at Loyola in career blocked shots.

With 114 during his three-year tenure as a Greyhound, Walker is three swats from tying George Sereikas (1989-1993) for second with 117. Brian Carroll (1997-2001) is the all-time leader with 213.

Walker leads the Greyhounds with 21 blocks this season and is sixth in the MAAC, averaging 1.5 per game.

Meanwhile, teammate Erik Etherly has moved into the school’s all-time top 10 and is tied for ninth with Michael Tuck (2003-2008) with 51.

Finding An Old Form

The Greyhounds were encouraged by the contributions against Manhattan of senior co-captain J’hared Hall who made a pair of 3-pointers off the bench, one in each half. The treys were the first and second of the season for Hall who was the MAAC Sixth Player of the Year in 2010-2011.

After not playing in either of the last two games, Hall scored six in six minutes off the bench against Manhattan, a team he hit six 3-pointers in a game against last season.

Keeping Them Close

For the third time this season, and the second time in three games, Loyola won a game in which neither team led by more than seven points. Manhattan’s largest advantage on Thursday was just four points, while the Greyhounds were never up by more than six.

At Bucknell on December 28, Loyola never led by more than five, and the Bison were only up three on occasions. In November, the Greyhounds defeated New Hampshire on the road in a contest separated by no more than seven.

This year, Loyola is 8-2 in games that are decided by 10 or fewer points.

Statistics Don’t Matter If You Are Winning

Our of 13 individual statistical categories listed by the MAAC, Loyola players appear in the top five of just four: Erik Etherly (field-goal percentage and offensive rebounds) and Dylon Cormier (points per game and steals).

The Greyhounds, however, have several players in the top 15 of most categories, accentuating the balanced nature of the team statistically.

Everyone On The Offensive Boards

Loyola leads the MAAC in offensive rebounding as a team, averaging 14.6, more than a full offensive board a game higher than second-place Niagara (13.3).

Despite the team ranking, no Greyhounds player is higher than eighth in the conference in offensive rebounds per game. Erik Etherly is 11th with 2.5, while Dylon Cormier is ninth with 2.4, and Justin Drummond is 11th at 2.3.

No other league team has more than two players in the top 15 of the statistical category.

Second Time With Twenty

Justin Drummond topped the 20-point plateau for the second time in four games when he led all players with 23 points on Monday night against Niagara. The 23 points were his second-most in a game during his career at Loyola, three behind the 26 he scored on December 18 at St. Bonaventure.

Drummond made 9-of-16 shots form the field and 4-of-5 from the line against the Purple Eagles.

Drummond also led all players Monday with nine rebounds and five offensive boards, and nine of his 23 points came as a direct result of his own offensive rebounds.

Nine Is Fine

The Greyhounds’ victory at Bucknell was their ninth of the season, setting a program standard for wins before the calendar year turns.

Loyola’s previous best for wins in November and December was seven, a number Jimmy Patsos-led teams totaled during the 2005-2006 and 2009-2010 seasons.

Fourth In Road Wins

Loyola’s six road wins have them tied for fourth in all of NCAA Division I for victories away from its home court.

Fellow Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference side Iona is tied with No. 15/14 Murray State, Cleveland State and Wagner for the national lead with seven. Robert Morris, Lehigh and the Greyhounds all have six true road wins.

Last year, the Greyhounds finished the season with a 7-8 record away from home.

Road Warriors

The game at Bucknell closed a six-game road trip for the Greyhounds, a venture away from Baltimore on which Loyola finished 4-2 with its only losses coming at St. Bonaventure and No. 3 Kentucky.

The roadtrip is the longest in school Division I history (since 1981-1982), stretching longer than multiple five-game swings, the most recent coming from December 21, 2008-January 5, 2009. That trip took Loyola from Northern California (UC-Davis) to North Carolina (Duke and North Carolina State) and Western New York (Canisius and Niagara). The Greyhounds went 2-3 against those teams.

A Little Bit Of Everything

Erik Etherly led Loyola in four statistical categories at Bucknell: points (18), rebounds (8), assists (4) and blocked shots (4). While it was atypical to lead the Greyhounds in all of the categories, Etherly has routinely topped the team in at least one category this season. He was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Week on January 2.

He has led the team in rebounding eight times (including ties); scoring, 4; assists, 5; steals, 4; blocked shots, 5.

Currently, Etherly paces the team in rebounds (95 total, 7.9 per game) and assists (26, 2.2), and he is second in scoring (156, 13.0) and minutes played (370, 30.8).

He is the only player in the MAAC currently leading his team in rebounds and assists.

Etherly has scored in double-figures in 21 of the Greyhounds’ last 23 games, going back to January 2011. He has averaged 14.1 in those contests.

Streak Snapped

St. Bonaventure University defeated Loyola 76-66, snapping the Greyhounds’ eight-game winning streak. Loyola had reeled off the span of wins since falling in its season-opener at Wake Forest.

The winning streak was the longest in the school’s NCAA Division I history (since 1981-82), and it is the longest since the 1964-1965 team won eight in a row during January and February.

Honors Abound For Cormier

Loyola sophomore guard Dylon Cormier picked up a couple of awards for his recent play, earning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week and Jesuit Basketball Spotlight National Player of the Week honors on December 12, both for the first time in his career.

Cormier averaged 20.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in a pair of wins over George Washington University and Mount St. Mary’s University.

This season, Cormier leads Loyola in scoring (16.8), 3-point percentage (.424) and steals (1.8) and is third in rebounding (5.0).

Thievery

Loyola caused 20 Siena turnovers, and the Greyhounds were credited with 19 steals. R.J. Williams led the way with a career-high five, while Erik Etherly, Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson each had three.

The 19 steals are the second-most in school history, one more than the Greyhounds posted in a November 29, 1997, game at Kent State. It is also the most Loyola has recorded against a Division I opponent. The school single-game record of 20 came on February 28, 1996, when the team closed the regular-season against St. Mary’s (Md.).

Running Away

Runs have been a big part of the Greyhounds’ success early this year. Here is a look at some runs of note:

Century Mark

Head Coach Jimmy Patsos became the third coach in Loyola history to win 100 games when the Greyhounds defeated UMBC, 73-63, on the road. Patsos, who is in his eighth season, took over a team that finished 1-27 during the 2002-2003 season. He won his 100th game in his 215th career game.

Last season, Patsos moved into third-place all time at Loyola in victories, trailing only Lefty Reitz (349 wins, 1937-44, 1945-61) and Nap Doherty (165, 1961-74).

Two Of A Kind

Although unofficial, research shows that Jimmy Patsos is one of only two coaches in the last 20 years to take over a team that won just one game the year prior to his arrival.

Brigham Young finished the 1996-1997 season with a 1-25 record. Steve Cleveland took over the following season and tallied 138 wins until his departure for Fresno State after the 2004-2005 season.

Men’s & Women’s Coaches With 100

Loyola University Maryland is one of just 26 mid-major schools that has men’s and women’s basketball coaches with 100 or more victories at their current school after Greyhound women’s coach Joe Logan got his 100th on December 18 in a win at George Washington.

Loyola is the only school in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to have accomplished the feat, and it is one of only five institutions at which the coaches have both won 100 or more games in 10 or fewer seasons.

Getting To The Line

As a team, Loyola went to the free-throw line 46 times at UMBC, making 31. The 46 attempts are the sixth-most all-time and most since the 2004-2005 squad attempted 53 on December 5, 2004, against Niagara.

Loyola’s 31 free throws made rank 11th on the school single-game chart and were the most since making 32 on January 14, 2009, versus NJIT.

Although his shot was not falling at UMBC, Dylon Cormier still found ways to be productive on the offensive end of the floor. The sophomore guard was just 2-of-9 from the field, but he went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15, and finished with 20 points.

Cormier’s 15 free throws made are tied for sixth in Loyola single-game history, matching the total made by Mike Powell at Saint Peter’s on December 6, 1997, and Donovan Thomas against Marist on February 23, 2003. The 15 makes were the most by a Loyola player since Jamal Barney set the school record with 18 on January 14, 2009, against NJIT. His 17 attempts rank tied for sixth all-time.

Baltimore Bred And More From Nearby

Since taking over as head coach in 2004, Jimmy Patsos has put an emphasis on recruiting locally, and it has never shown as much as on this year’s roster. Three players – sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), sophomore forward Jordan Latham (City) and freshman guard R.J. Williams (St. Frances) are products of schools within the city limits.

Six more players played in high school within 50 miles of Loyola, as the crow flies (thanks daftlogic.com): Shane Walker & Tyler Hubbard, Montrose Christian, 32.6 miles; Robert Olson, Georgetown Prep, 33.9; Justin Drummond, Riverdale Baptist, 33.9; Anthony Winbush, T.C. Williams, 43.7; and Erik Etherly, Annandale, 47.9.

What’s Next

The Greyhounds continue their road swing with a 3:30 p.m. game on Sunday in New Rochelle, N.Y., at Iona College.

Game Data

Saturday concludes a three-game Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference homestand for the Loyola University Maryland men’s basketball team.

The Greyhounds host Canisius College at 12 noon in Reitz Arena.

Jesuit Basketball Spotlight

Loyola’s game against Canisius is the first of six games the Greyhounds will play this season as part of the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight.

As one of 28 Jesuit Catholic universities around the nation, Loyola is a proud participant in the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight again this season. The Greyhounds will also face fellow MAAC Jesuits Fairfield (away, January 13; home, February 12) and Saint Peter’s (home, January 22; away, February 5), as well as a return date to Buffalo to take on Canisius on January 29.

Go to www.ajcunet.edu/jesuitbasketball for more information on the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight.

Series History

Loyola and Canisius will meet for the 55th time in series history on Saturday. The Golden Griffins hold a 34-20 advantage in the series after splitting the season series a year ago.

Both teams won on its home court last year with the Greyhounds defeating Canisius, 72-57, on February 13, 2011, behind 22 points from Justin Drummond and 18 from Erik Etherly. The Golden Griffins returned the favor, topping Loyola, 75-58, 14 days later in Buffalo.

Free Webstreaming

Fans who can’t make it to the game on Thursday have multiple options for catching the action from Reitz Arena. In addition to live stats and internet audio, all non-televised home contests, will be broadcast free of charge on Hounds Unleashed, the broadcast arm of LoyolaGreyhounds.com. The games will be available on computers and most smart phone devices.

The One That Counted Most

Dylon Cormier had gone 115 minutes and 46 seconds of game action without hitting a 3-pointer, but all that was history when he nailed one with 3.1 seconds left on the clock Thursday night to lift Loyola past Manhattan.

On a baseline out-of-bounds play, Shane Walker found Cormier in the low right corner, and Cormier knocked down his first three since the 15:49 mark in the December 28 game at Bucknell.

Prior to making the shot with 3.1 seconds left, Cormier had missed his last 10 3-point attempts. He finished 1-of-4 at Bucknell, went 0-of-5 against Niagara and was 0-2 in the first 39 minutes versus Manhattan.

R.J. Steps Up Scoring

R.J. Williams scored Loyola’s first five points Thursday night against Manhattan, a modest accomplishment, but the freshman point guard finished with a career-high 11 points.

He tallied nine in the first half, leading all scorers, to help the Greyhounds take a 31-30 advantage at the break. The 11 points eclipsed his previous best of eight that he tallied in back-to-back games against Florida Gulf Coast and Marist.

Williams is averaging 4.1 points per game, but in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference contests, his points per game mark rises to more than six.

Etherly As A Distributor

Erik Etherly has tied or set career-highs in assists for two straight games, and the 6-foot-7 forward leads the team in assists through 14 games this year.

On Thursday against Manhattan, Etherly had a career-best seven assists, eclipsing his previous mark of four, a number he has posted twice this year, including Monday against Niagara.

This year, Etherly has 34 assists, an average of 2.4 per game, tops on the team. He also leads the Greyhounds in rebounds with 7.6 a contest, and he is the only player in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to lead his team in both rebounds and assists.

Against the Jaspers, Etherly scored eight points and led all players with seven assists and six rebounds. He also had a block and a steal.

Closing In On Second

After recording three blocks against Manhattan and seven in the Greyhounds’ last three games –  also three at Bucknell and one against Niagara – Shane Walker has moved closer to second place all-time at Loyola in career blocked shots.

With 114 during his three-year tenure as a Greyhound, Walker is three swats from tying George Sereikas (1989-1993) for second with 117. Brian Carroll (1997-2001) is the all-time leader with 213.

Walker leads the Greyhounds with 21 blocks this season and is sixth in the MAAC, averaging 1.5 per game.

Meanwhile, teammate Erik Etherly has moved into the school’s all-time top 10 and is tied for ninth with Michael Tuck (2003-2008) with 51.

Sticky Fingers

Dylon Cormier had three steals against Manhattan as Loyola forced 21 Jaspers’ turnovers, raising his season total to 26.

Cormier now ranks second in the MAAC with 1.9 steals per game, and Loyola is tops as a team, averaging 8.6.

Manhattan’s 21 turnovers tied for Loyola’s opponent season-high, matching that of UMBC in the November 17 game.

Olson After Halftime

Robert Olson was key to the Greyhounds’ victory Thursday, hitting all three of his 3-point attempts. The junior guard knocked down all three from behind the arc in the second half and finished with nine points.

Twice, Olson’s treys gave Loyola the lead, at 11:30 and 3:18 in the second half, and his bomb with 7:37 to go put the Greyhounds ahead by four.

He was also a key decoy on the game-winning play, as two Manhattan players followed Olson off a screen, allowing Cormier to find an opening in the opposite corner.

Finding An Old Form

The Greyhounds were encouraged by the contributions of senior co-captain J’hared Hall who made a pair of 3-pointers off the bench, one in each half. The treys were the first and second of the season for Hall who was the MAAC Sixth Player of the Year in 2010-2011.

After not playing in either of the last two games, Hall scored six in six minutes off the bench against Manhattan, a team he hit six 3-pointers in a game against last season.

Keeping Them Close

For the third time this season, and the second time in three games, Loyola won a game in which neither team led by more than seven points. Manhattan’s largest advantage on Thursday was just four points, while the Greyhounds were never up by more than six.

At Bucknell on December 28, Loyola never led by more than five, and the Bison were only up three on occasions. In November, the Greyhounds defeated New Hampshire on the road in a contest separated by no more than seven.

This year, Loyola is 8-2 in games that are decided by 10 or fewer points.

Last Time Out

Dylon Cormier took a Shane Walker inbound pass on a baseline out-of-bounds play and sank a 3-pointer from the low right corner to lift Loyola to a 61-60 win over Manhattan on Thursday night.

Loyola, which led by six with more than seven minutes to play after two Cormier free throws, took a 58-57 advantage on a Walker free throw with 2:08 left. Michael Alvarado, however, put the Jaspers up a point with a pull-up jumper in the lane with 56 ticks remaining.

The Greyhounds were denied on their next possession, but they fouled Manhattan leading scorer George Beamon with 24 seconds on the clock. Beamon made just 1-of-2, leaving the door open for Cormier’s winner.

Statistics Don’t Matter If You Are Winning

Our of 13 individual statistical categories listed by the MAAC, Loyola players appear in the top five of just four: Erik Etherly (rebounds per game, field-goal percentage and offensive rebounds) and Dylon Cormier (steals).

The Greyhounds, however, have several players in the top 15 of most categories, accentuating the balanced nature of the team statistically.

Everyone On The Offensive Boards

Loyola leads the MAAC in offensive rebounding as a team, averaging 14.5, more than a full offensive board a game higher than second-place Niagara (13.3).

Despite the team ranking, no Greyhounds player is higher than 11th in the conference in offensive rebounds per game. Erik Etherly is 11th with 2.43, while Dylon Cormier and Justin Drummond are tied for 12th with 2.35.

No other league team has more than two players in the top 15 of the statistical category.

Second Time With Twenty

Justin Drummond topped the 20-point plateau for the second time in four games when he led all players with 23 points on Monday night against Niagara. The 23 points were his second-most in a game during his career at Loyola, three behind the 26 he scored on December 18 at St. Bonaventure.

Drummond made 9-of-16 shots form the field and 4-of-5 from the line against the Purple Eagles.

Drummond also led all players Monday with nine rebounds and five offensive boards, and nine of his 23 points came as a direct result of his own offensive rebounds.

Rally Falls Short

Loyola overcame a 12-point first-half deficit on Monday night against Niagara to take a four-point lead, only to fall short of the win.

The 12 point Purple Eagles lead is the largest overcome to take the lead in a game this season by the Greyhounds.

Guards Hit The Boards

Loyola outrebounded Niagara, 40-36, on Monday night, thanks in part to solid rebounding from its guards. Justin Drummond led the team with nine, and Robert Olson had seven.

This season, three Loyola guards are averaging three or more rebounds per game: Drummond (4.6), Dylon Cormier (4.4), Olson (3.1).

Nine Is Fine

The Greyhounds’ victory at Bucknell was their ninth of the season, setting a program standard for wins before the calendar year turns.

Loyola’s previous best for wins in November and December was seven, a number Jimmy Patsos-led teams totaled during the 2005-2006 and 2009-2010 seasons.

Second In Road Wins

Loyola’s six road wins have them tied for second in all of NCAA Division I for victories away from its home court.

The Greyhounds are tied with fellow Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference team Iona, No. 18/19 Murray State and Lehigh, and the four teams trail only Cleveland State, which has seven.

Last year, the Greyhounds finished the season with a 7-8 record away from Reitz Arena.

Road Warriors

The game at Bucknell closed a six-game road trip for the Greyhounds, a venture away from Baltimore on which Loyola finished 4-2 with its only losses coming at St. Bonaventure and No. 3 Kentucky.

The roadtrip is the longest in school Division I history (since 1981-1982), stretching longer than multiple five-game swings, the most recent coming from December 21, 2008-January 5, 2009. That trip took Loyola from Northern California (UC-Davis) to North Carolina (Duke and North Carolina State) and Western New York (Canisius and Niagara). The Greyhounds went 2-3 against those teams.

Solid MAAC Start

Loyola did something last month it had never accomplished in 22 previous seasons in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Greyhounds went 2-0 in their first two league games, defeating Marist at home and Siena on the road.

The Greyhounds also won their conference opener for the first time since 2005-2006, marking just the fourth time in 23 seasons they were 1-0 in the MAAC.

A Little Bit Of Everything

Erik Etherly led Loyola in four statistical categories at Bucknell: points (18), rebounds (8), assists (4) and blocked shots (4). While it was atypical to lead the Greyhounds in all of the categories, Etherly has routinely topped the team in at least one category this season. He was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Week on January 2.

He has led the team in rebounding eight times (including ties); scoring, 4; assists, 5; steals, 4; blocked shots, 5.

Currently, Etherly paces the team in rebounds (95 total, 7.9 per game) and assists (26, 2.2), and he is second in scoring (156, 13.0) and minutes played (370, 30.8).

He is the only player in the MAAC currently leading his team in rebounds and assists.

Etherly has scored in double-figures in 21 of the Greyhounds’ last 23 games, going back to January 2011. He has averaged 14.1 in those contests.

Cutting Down Turnovers

In the first six games of the season, Loyola averaged 16 turnovers per, a total of 96. Since the going on the road, however, for the last six games, the Greyhounds have committed just 94 or 11.75 per game.

Take out the 21-turnover outing in the win at George Washington, and Loyola has averaged 10.4 turnovers. In the last four games, the Greyhounds have not committed more than 13 turnovers.

Streak Snapped

St. Bonaventure University defeated Loyola 76-66, snapping the Greyhounds’ eight-game winning streak. Loyola had reeled off the span of wins since falling in its season-opener at Wake Forest.

The winning streak was the longest in the school’s NCAA Division I history (since 1981-82), and it is the longest since the 1964-1965 team won eight in a row during January and February.

Drummond’s Career Day

Justin Drummond put together a career-high scoring effort in the Greyhounds’ loss at St. Bonaventure, finishing with 26 points to eclipse the 22 he scored last February against Canisius.

Drummond, who came off the bench and played 32 minutes, made 10-of-19 shots, both of his 3-point attempts and all four of his free throws. He also led Loyola with five rebounds.

Honors Abound For Cormier

Loyola sophomore guard Dylon Cormier picked up a couple of awards for his recent play, earning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week and Jesuit Basketball Spotlight National Player of the Week honors on December 12, both for the first time in his career.

Cormier averaged 20.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in a pair of wins over George Washington University and Mount St. Mary’s University.

This season, Cormier leads Loyola in scoring (16.8), 3-point percentage (.424) and steals (1.8) and is third in rebounding (5.0).

Best Start In Division I History

Loyola’s victory against Siena on December 3 moved the Greyhounds’ record to 6-1 and gave the 2011-2012 team the best start in school Division I history, improving on the 5-1 start the Greyhounds achieved in 2005-2006.

The Greyhounds also went 2-0 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for the first time in the 23 years in the league.

Thievery

Loyola caused 20 Siena turnovers, and the Greyhounds were credited with 19 steals. R.J. Williams led the way with a career-high five, while Erik Etherly, Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson each had three.

The 19 steals are the second-most in school history, one more than the Greyhounds posted in a November 29, 1997, game at Kent State. It is also the most Loyola has recorded against a Division I opponent. The school single-game record of 20 came on February 28, 1996, when the team closed the regular-season against St. Mary’s (Md.).

Consistency Is The Key

Up until the George Washington win, three Loyola players – Dylon Cormier (13, 20, 20, 16, 14, 15, 22), Shane Walker (12, 15, 12, 15, 10, 11, 10) and Erik Etherly (11, 15, 27, 11, 15, 14, 11) have scored in double figures in each of the Greyhounds’ first seven games, something never accomplished by the same three players in the program’s Division I history.

Walker was held to just four against the Colonials, but Cormier finished with 26, and Etherly had 12.

The last time three Loyola players scored 10 or more over a six-game stretch was the 1997-1998 season when Mike Powell, Jason Rowe and Roderick Platt accomplished the task in consecutive games from January 25-February 15, 1998. Loyola was 5-1 in those games.

The Greyhounds had not had the same three players score 10 or more in four-straight games since Gerald Brown, Marquis Sullivan and Michael Tuck did it against Rider, UC-Davis, Canisius and Marist from February 18-March 2, 2008. Loyola was 3-1 during that stretch.

Running Away

Runs have been a big part of the Greyhounds’ success early this year. Here is a look at some runs of note:

Century Mark

Head Coach Jimmy Patsos became the third coach in Loyola history to win 100 games when the Greyhounds defeated UMBC, 73-63, on the road. Patsos, who is in his eighth season, took over a team that finished 1-27 during the 2002-2003 season. He won his 100th game in his 215th career game.

Last season, Patsos moved into third-place all time at Loyola in victories, trailing only Lefty Reitz (349 wins, 1937-44, 1945-61) and Nap Doherty (165, 1961-74).

Two Of A Kind

Although unofficial, research shows that Jimmy Patsos is one of only two coaches in the last 20 years to take over a team that won just one game the year prior to his arrival.

Brigham Young finished the 1996-1997 season with a 1-25 record. Steve Cleveland took over the following season and tallied 138 wins until his departure for Fresno State after the 2004-2005 season.

Men’s & Women’s Coaches With 100

Loyola University Maryland is one of just 26 mid-major schools that has men’s and women’s basketball coaches with 100 or more victories at their current school after Greyhound women’s coach Joe Logan got his 100th on December 18 in a win at George Washington.

Loyola is the only school in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to have accomplished the feat, and it is one of only five institutions at which the coaches have both won 100 or more games in 10 or fewer seasons.

Getting To The Line

As a team, Loyola went to the free-throw line 46 times at UMBC, making 31. The 46 attempts are the sixth-most all-time and most since the 2004-2005 squad attempted 53 on December 5, 2004, against Niagara.

Loyola’s 31 free throws made rank 11th on the school single-game chart and were the most since making 32 on January 14, 2009, versus NJIT.

Although his shot was not falling at UMBC, Dylon Cormier still found ways to be productive on the offensive end of the floor. The sophomore guard was just 2-of-9 from the field, but he went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15, and finished with 20 points.

Cormier’s 15 free throws made are tied for sixth in Loyola single-game history, matching the total made by Mike Powell at Saint Peter’s on December 6, 1997, and Donovan Thomas against Marist on February 23, 2003. The 15 makes were the most by a Loyola player since Jamal Barney set the school record with 18 on January 14, 2009, against NJIT. His 17 attempts rank tied for sixth all-time.

Baltimore Bred And More From Nearby

Since taking over as head coach in 2004, Jimmy Patsos has put an emphasis on recruiting locally, and it has never shown as much as on this year’s roster. Three players – sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), sophomore forward Jordan Latham (City) and freshman guard R.J. Williams (St. Frances) are products of schools within the city limits.

Six more players played in high school within 50 miles of Loyola, as the crow flies (thanks daftlogic.com): Shane Walker & Tyler Hubbard, Montrose Christian, 32.6 miles; Robert Olson, Georgetown Prep, 33.9; Justin Drummond, Riverdale Baptist, 33.9; Anthony Winbush, T.C. Williams, 43.7; and Erik Etherly, Annandale, 47.9

What’s Next

Loyola heads out on the road for a pair of games next weekend, playing Friday, January 13, at Fairfield on ESPNU and at Iona on Sunday, January 15.

Game Data

Loyola University Maryland plays the second of three home games this week on Thursday, January 5, when it hosts Manhattan College at 7:30 p.m.

The Greyhounds are playing three games in the span of six days for the only time during the 2011-2012 regular-season.

Thursday’s game will mark just the second time this season that Loyola has played back-to-back games in Reitz Arena, the first coming November 27 and December 1.

Series History

Loyola and Manhattan will meet for the 52nd time when the teams take the floor Thursday. The Jaspers hold a 31-20 advantage in the all-time series.

The Greyhounds won both meetings between the teams last season, defeating Manhattan, 82-67, on January 7 in Riverdale, and 62-50 on January 20 in Reitz Arena.

Loyola has won seven of the last nine meetings between the schools dating back to the 2007-2008 season.

Second Time With Twenty

Justin Drummond topped the 20-point plateau for the second time in four games when he led all players with 23 points on Monday night against Niagara. The 23 points were his second-most in a game during his career at Loyola, three behind the 26 he scored on December 18 at St. Bonaventure.

Drummond made 9-of-16 shots form the field and 4-of-5 from the line against the Purple Eagles.

Free Webstreaming

Fans who can’t make it to the game on Thursday have multiple options for catching the action from Reitz Arena. In addition to live stats and internet audio, all non-televised home contests, will be broadcast free of charge on Hounds Unleashed, the broadcast arm of LoyolaGreyhounds.com. The games will be available on computers and most smart phone devices.

Offensive Board Work

Drummond also led all players Monday with nine rebounds and five offensive boards.

Nine of his 23 points came as a direct result of his own offensive rebounds.

Rally Falls Short

Loyola overcame a 12-point first-half deficit on Monday night against Niagara to take a four-point lead, only to fall short of the win.

The 12 point Purple Eagles lead is the largest overcome to take the lead in a game this season by the Greyhounds.

Guards Hit The Boards

Loyola outrebounded Niagara, 40-36, on Monday night, thanks in part to solid rebounding from its guards. Justin Drummond led the team with nine, and Robert Olson had seven.

This season, three Loyola guards are averaging three or more rebounds per game: Drummond (4.6), Dylon Cormier (4.4), Olson (3.1).

Last Time Out

Loyola overcame a 12-point Niagara lead to go up by four on two occasions in the second half, but the Purple Eagles held the Greyhounds scoreless for the last 3:24 of the game for a 66-61 victory.

Erik Etherly put Loyola ahead 61-57 with a fast-break dunk at 3:35, but Juan’ya Green made a three just over a minute later, and Antoine Mason’s layup with 61 ticks left gave Niagara the lead for good.

Nine Is Fine

The Greyhounds’ victory at Bucknell was their ninth of the season, setting a program standard for wins before the calendar year turns.

Loyola’s previous best for wins in November and December was seven, a number Jimmy Patsos-led teams totaled during the 2005-2006 and 2009-2010 seasons.

Second In Road Wins

Loyola’s six road wins in November and December have them tied for second in all of NCAA Division I for victories away from its home court.

The Greyhounds are tied with fellow Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference team Iona and No. 23 Murray State, and the three teams trail only Cleveland State, which has seven.

Last year, the Greyhounds finished the season with a 7-8 record away from Reitz Arena.

Road Warriors

The game at Bucknell closed a six-game road trip for the Greyhounds, a venture away from Baltimore on which Loyola finished 4-2 with its only losses coming at St. Bonaventure and No. 3 Kentucky.

The roadtrip is the longest in school Division I history (since 1981-1982), stretching longer than multiple five-game swings, the most recent coming from December 21, 2008-January 5, 2009. That trip took Loyola from Northern California (UC-Davis) to North Carolina (Duke and North Carolina State) and Western New York (Canisius and Niagara). The Greyhounds went 2-3 against those teams.

Solid MAAC Start

Loyola did something last month it had never accomplished in 22 previous seasons in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Greyhounds went 2-0 in their first two league games, defeating Marist at home and Siena on the road.

The Greyhounds also won their conference opener for the first time since 2005-2006, marking just the fourth time in 23 seasons they were 1-0 in the MAAC.

Keeping Loyola In The Game

Justin Drummond scored nine-straight Loyola points over a 4:09 stretch that helped the Greyhounds stay close to Bucknell when the Bison were rallying. Bucknell outscored Loyola 13-9 during the span, but Drummond’s play kept the Bison from getting too far out in front.

Drummond was 3-of-3 form the field, and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line during the run, while the rest of the Greyhounds were 0-2 from both. He also had a big defensive rebound after a Cameron Ayers missed jumper that led to a Dylon Cormier layup to put Loyola in front for good at 3:36.

A Little Bit Of Everything

Erik Etherly led Loyola in four statistical categories at Bucknell: points (18), rebounds (8), assists (4) and blocked shots (4). While it was atypical to lead the Greyhounds in all of the categories, Etherly has routinely topped the team in at least one category this season. He was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Week on January 2.

He has led the team in rebounding eight times (including ties); scoring, 4; assists, 5; steals, 4; blocked shots, 5.

Currently, Etherly paces the team in rebounds (95 total, 7.9 per game) and assists (26, 2.2), and he is second in scoring (156, 13.0) and minutes played (370, 30.8).

He is the only player in the MAAC currently leading his team in rebounds and assists.

Etherly has scored in double-figures in 21 of the Greyhounds’ last 23 games, going back to January 2011. He has averaged 14.1 in those contests.

Back On The Boards

After outrebounding opponents in six of its first eight games, Loyola was beaten on the boards at Mount St. Mary’s (3), St. Bonaventure (12) and No. 3 Kentucky (8). Wednesday’s game reversed that trend when Loyola pulled down 36 rebounds to Bucknell’s 25 and then outrebounded Niagara, 40-36.

Entering the game, Bucknell led the Patriot League and was in the top 30 nationally in rebounding margin (+6.7), but the Greyhounds held the Bison to a season-low 25. Their previous low was 30 when they played at No. 1 Syracuse.

Keeping It Close

Neither Loyola, nor Bucknell, led by more than five points (Loyola by 5; Bucknell, 3) on Wednesday, the tightest game the Greyhounds have played this year. It is the second time this season Loyola has played a game that neither team has been ahead by 10 or more.

Nine of the Greyhounds’ 12 games this year have been decided by 10 or fewer points.

Cutting Down Turnovers

In the first six games of the season, Loyola averaged 16 turnovers per, a total of 96. Since the going on the road, however, for the last six games, the Greyhounds have committed just 72 or 12.0 per game.

Take out the 21-turnover outing in the win at George Washington, and Loyola has averaged 10.1 turnovers. In the last four games, the Greyhounds have not committed more than 13 turnovers.

Back-to-Back Tournament Teams

For the only time this season, Loyola faced teams that appeared in the 2011 NCAA Tournament in consecutive games, No. 3 Kentucky and Bucknell.

Both teams bowed out to eventual National Champion Connecticut, Bucknell falling 81-52 in the West Region First Round, while Kentucky lost 56-55 in the Final Four.

Streak Snapped

St. Bonaventure University defeated Loyola 76-66, snapping the Greyhounds’ eight-game winning streak. Loyola had reeled off the span of wins since falling in its season-opener at Wake Forest.

The winning streak was the longest in the school’s NCAA Division I history (since 1981-82), and it is the longest since the 1964-1965 team won eight in a row during January and February.

Drummond’s Career Day

Justin Drummond put together a career-high scoring effort in the Greyhounds’ loss at St. Bonaventure, finishing with 26 points to eclipse the 22 he scored last February against Canisius.

Drummond, who came off the bench and played 32 minutes, made 10-of-19 shots, both of his 3-point attempts and all four of his free throws. He also led Loyola with five rebounds.

Drummond spread his 26 points evenly between the two halves, scoring 13 in each. He scored six-straight points as Loyola held the Bonnies scoreless for over two minutes in the second half, trimming St. Bonaventure’s advantage from 12 to six with 4:06 to play.

Honors Abound For Cormier

Loyola sophomore guard Dylon Cormier picked up a couple of awards for his recent play, earning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week and Jesuit Basketball Spotlight National Player of the Week honors on December 12, both for the first time in his career.

Cormier averaged 20.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in a pair of wins over George Washington University and Mount St. Mary’s University.

This season, Cormier leads Loyola in scoring (16.8), 3-point percentage (.424) and steals (1.8) and is third in rebounding (5.0).

Walker Off And Running At Mount

Shane Walker scored his first five points of the game last Saturday at Mount St. Mary’s from the free-throw line, but he made a 3-pointer from the top left of the arc with less than five seconds to go in the first half, pushing the Greyhounds’ lead to seven at the break.

In the second half, he continued his scoring effort, tallying 12 of his team-high 20 points in the second 20 minute stretch. He made another three and finished the game 10-of-13 from the charity stripe, setting career-highs in free throws made and attempted.

Walker’s 20 points were a season-high, and the game marked the eighth time in nine games this year he has scored 10 or more.

His only sub 10-point outing came one game earlier when he scored just four points at George Washington. Both of his field goals against the Colonials were big ones, however. The first came after George Washington cut Loyola’s one-time 20-point advantage to just eight with 5:18 to play, and the momentum appeared to have shifted to the Colonials. On the ensuing possession, R.J. Williams misfired on a jumper, but Walker came from the weak side to grab the rebound and lay it off the glass for his first points.

Minutes later, Walker took advantage of a mismatch at the top of the perimeter and drove down the right side of the lane, laying another basket off the backboard to put Loyola up 15 in the final 90 seconds.

He also had a season-best nine rebounds against George Washington.

Big Shots From Bobby

Robert Olson was just a point behind Shane Walker for team-high honors at Mount St. Mary’s, finishing with a season-high 19. He was 6-of-11 from the field and 3-of-7 from behind the arc.

He scored 16 of his points after halftime, making a three 43 ticks in after the Mountaineers had cut Loyola’s lead to four. He then had a traditional 3-point play and one from behind the arc in consecutive possessions with less than five minutes left to push the Greyhounds lead to 12 on two occasions.

Best Start In Division I History

Loyola’s victory against Siena on December 3 moved the Greyhounds’ record to 6-1 and gave the 2011-2012 team the best start in school Division I history, improving on the 5-1 start the Greyhounds achieved in 2005-2006.

The Greyhounds also are 2-0 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for the first time in the 23 years in the league.

Back-To-Back Career Nights

Dylon Cormier tied his previous career-high of 20 points against both Coppin State and UMBC earlier this season, matching the amount he scored last season as a freshman, also against UMBC.

He recorded his third 20-point effort of the season on December 3 at Siena, scoring 22, and he set another career-high one game later with a game-best 26 in the win over George Washington.

This season, Cormier has averaged 18.3 points per game through eight games, scoring 15 or more five times. Last season, Cormier scored 10 or more in 12 games, something he has already done eight times this year.

His points have come in a variety of ways. At Siena, he knocked down 5-of-6 threes, while against the Colonials, he posted 10-of-13 from the free-throw line. Earlier in the year, he scored 20 at UMBC behind a 15-of-17 effort from the charity stripe.

Cormier also registered a career-best nine rebounds against George Washington.

Crashing The Boards

Loyola has outrebounded opponents by 54 this season, 441-387, through 12 games this season.

The Greyhounds’ advantage has been even more dramatic on the offensive glass where they have outrebounded opponents, 175-126. They have pulled down offensive boards on nearly 40-percent of missed field goals and free throws this season.

The offensive rebounds have come from guards and forwards. Guard Dylon Cormier leads the team with 31, while forward Erik Etherly is right behind with 30. Guard Justin Drummond has 26, and forward Shane Walker, 24.

Thievery

Loyola caused 20 Siena turnovers, and the Greyhounds were credited with 19 steals. R.J. Williams led the way with a career-high five, while Erik Etherly, Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson each had three.

The 19 steals are the second-most in school history, one more than the Greyhounds posted in a November 29, 1997, game at Kent State. It is also the most Loyola has recorded against a Division I opponent. The school single-game record of 20 came on February 28, 1996, when the team closed the regular-season against St. Mary’s (Md.).

Consistency Is The Key

Up until the George Washington win, three Loyola players – Dylon Cormier (13, 20, 20, 16, 14, 15, 22), Shane Walker (12, 15, 12, 15, 10, 11, 10) and Erik Etherly (11, 15, 27, 11, 15, 14, 11) have scored in double figures in each of the Greyhounds’ first seven games, something never accomplished by the same three players in the program’s Division I history.

Walker was held to just four against the Colonials, but Cormier finished with 26, and Etherly had 12.

The last time three Loyola players scored 10 or more over a six-game stretch was the 1997-1998 season when Mike Powell, Jason Rowe and Roderick Platt accomplished the task in consecutive games from January 25-February 15, 1998. Loyola was 5-1 in those games.

The Greyhounds had not had the same three players score 10 or more in four-straight games since Gerald Brown, Marquis Sullivan and Michael Tuck did it against Rider, UC-Davis, Canisius and Marist from February 18-March 2, 2008. Loyola was 3-1 during that stretch.

Running Away

Runs have been a big part of the Greyhounds’ success early this year. Here is a look at some runs of note:

Triple Digit Blocks

Shane Walker’s block of a Kevin Cantinol layup 1:25 into the second half against Florida Gulf Coast was the 100th rejection of his Loyola career. He is now one of three Greyhounds all-time to log 100 or more blocked shots, joining Brian Carroll (217, 1997-2001) George Sereikas (117, 1989-1993).

Century Mark

Head Coach Jimmy Patsos became the third coach in Loyola history to win 100 games when the Greyhounds defeated UMBC, 73-63, on the road. Patsos, who is in his eighth season, took over a team that finished 1-27 during the 2002-2003 season. He won his 100th game in his 215th career game.

Last season, Patsos moved into third-place all time at Loyola in victories, trailing only Lefty Reitz (349 wins, 1937-44, 1945-61) and Nap Doherty (165, 1961-74).

Two Of A Kind

Although unofficial, research shows that Jimmy Patsos is one of only two coaches in the last 20 years to take over a team that won just one game the year prior to his arrival.

Brigham Young finished the 1996-1997 season with a 1-25 record. Steve Cleveland took over the following season and tallied 138 wins until his departure for Fresno State after the 2004-2005 season.

Men’s & Women’s Coaches With 100

Loyola University Maryland is one of just 26 mid-major schools that has men’s and women’s basketball coaches with 100 or more victories at their current school after Greyhound women’s coach Joe Logan got his 100th on December 18 in a win at George Washington.

Loyola is the only school in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to have accomplished the feat, and it is one of only five institutions at which the coaches have both won 100 or more games in 10 or fewer seasons.

Getting To The Line

As a team, Loyola went to the free-throw line 46 times at UMBC, making 31. The 46 attempts are the sixth-most all-time and most since the 2004-2005 squad attempted 53 on December 5, 2004, against Niagara.

Loyola’s 31 free throws made rank 11th on the school single-game chart and were the most since making 32 on January 14, 2009, versus NJIT.

Although his shot was not falling at UMBC, Dylon Cormier still found ways to be productive on the offensive end of the floor. The sophomore guard was just 2-of-9 from the field, but he went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15, and finished with 20 points.

Cormier’s 15 free throws made are tied for sixth in Loyola single-game history, matching the total made by Mike Powell at Saint Peter’s on December 6, 1997, and Donovan Thomas against Marist on February 23, 2003. The 15 makes were the most by a Loyola player since Jamal Barney set the school record with 18 on January 14, 2009, against NJIT. His 17 attempts rank tied for sixth all-time.

Baltimore Bred And More From Nearby

Since taking over as head coach in 2004, Jimmy Patsos has put an emphasis on recruiting locally, and it has never shown as much as on this year’s roster. Three players – sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), sophomore forward Jordan Latham (City) and freshman guard R.J. Williams (St. Frances) are products of schools within the city limits.

Six more players played in high school within 50 miles of Loyola, as the crow flies (thanks daftlogic.com): Shane Walker & Tyler Hubbard, Montrose Christian, 32.6 miles; Robert Olson, Georgetown Prep, 33.9; Justin Drummond, Riverdale Baptist, 33.9; Anthony Winbush, T.C. Williams, 43.7; and Erik Etherly, Annandale, 47.9

What’s Next

Loyola continues play at home with a 12 noon game on Saturday, January 9, against Canisius.

The Greyhounds then play two contests on the road next weekend, taking on Fairfield on Friday and Iona Sunday.

Honorable Mention: Boxing-ShoBox Luis Ramos Jr. vs. Raymundo Beltran (Friday 11pm from Indio, CA live on Showtime), Friday Night Fights-Dyah Davis vs. Alfonso Lopez (Friday 9pm from Key West, FL live on ESPN2); Soccer: MISL Syracuse Silver Knights @ Baltimore Blast (Friday 7:35pm 1st Mariner Arena), Rochester Lancers @ Baltimore Blast (Saturday 7:35pm 1st Mariner Arena); Women’s College Basketball: Georgia Tech @ Maryland (Friday 8:30pm from Comcast Center live on Comcast SportsNet), Maryland @ North Carolina (Sunday 1pm from Chapel Hill, NC live on Comcast SportsNet)

10. Badfish (Friday 7pm Rams Head Live), Legwarmers (Saturday 7pm Rams Head Live); Pat McGee Band (Friday 7:30pm Birchmere); Carbon Leaf (Friday 7:30pm Saturday 8pm The Barns at Wolf Trap); Johnny Winter (Saturday 8pm Sunday 7pm Rams Head on Stage)

When I heard Badfish was coming to town, I started wondering what my favorite Sublime song of all time was. I’ll probably be killed for it, but how can it not be this?

The Legwarmers are one of those tremendous 80′s cover bands that if you go see you’re guaranteed to have a good time. They do a ton of songs, but none are as good as this song…

I freaking LOVE Pat McGee Band. Here’s Pat doing Crosby Stills  &Nash (although you may be more familiar with Jimmy Buffett’s take)…

I’ve been talking an awful lot about Carbon Leaf this week. Have you taken the hint?

9. Kevin Nealon (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv)

The good news is that if you get your wires crossed at a Kevin Nealon show, he has some experience getting them uncrossed…

Honorable Mention: Women’s College Basketball-Terrapin Classic Lafayette @ Maryland (Wednesday 12pm Comcast Center), Delaware/ECU @ Maryland (Thursday 7pm Comcast Center); Boxing: Jermain Taylor vs. Jessie Nicklow (Friday 11pm from Cabazon, CA live on Showtime); High School Basketball: Gilman Bristow Tournament feat. Gilman, Mt. Carmel, Coppin Academy (Tuesday & Wednesday Gilman School)

10. Dark Star Orchestra (Wednesday 7pm Rams Head Live), Halestorm (Thursday 6:30pm Rams Head Live), Child’s Play (Friday 7pm Rams Head Live); Rusted Root (Friday 8pm Recher Theatre); SOJA (Saturday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage); Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Matisyahu (Wednesday 7pm 9:30 Club), Drive-By Truckers (Thursday-Saturday 9:30 Club); Charlie Wilson/Melanie Fiona (Thursday 8pm Modell Performing Arts Center-Lyric Opera House); The Roots (Thursday & Friday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring), Little Feat (Saturday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring), Wale (Sunday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); The Wailers (Thursday 7pm State Theatre); Downtown Countdown feat. Carbon Leaf (Saturday 9pm Hyatt Regency); Downtown Countdown DC feat. Third Eye Blind/Dirty Heads (Saturday 9pm Washington Hilton)

I saw SOJA open for O.A.R. at Merriweather Post Pavilion this summer. Not only did I sense I would enjoy their music, I also sensed there was no possible way these guys ever used any marijuana…

You might have missed it at the end of the year, but The Roots’ “Undun” was one of the best records of the last 12 months…

This is the part of T10BD where we listen to Little Feat play “Fat Man in the Bathtub”…

Look, if I WASN’T an obsessed 3eb fan, I’d tell you that.

9. Baltimore’s New Year’s Eve Spectacular (Saturday 9pm Inner Harbor); Jeff Dunham (Wednesday 7:30pm 1st Mariner Arena); Archer Season 2 available on DVD (Tuesday); Tournament of Roses Parade (Monday 11am from Pasadena, CA live on ABC)

Just for the record, my services are available for NYE at the moment. I have no current commitments.

What services can I offer on NYE? I guess you could say I’m a bit like the moose from Family Guy…

(Continued on Page 2)

You know how it works. 15 positive football observations, 7 “not so” positive football observations and one “oh no” moment from outside the world of football.

(As a reminder, we don’t do Baltimore Ravens analysis here. We do PLENTY of that elsewhere. This is about the rest of the world of football.)

15 Positive Observations…

1. The Towson University football team didn’t play a game this weekend, but somehow it will likely go down as the greatest of their lives.

The scene at the Towson Center Saturday afternoon rivals some of the most incredible I’ve seen in Charm City sports history, but sports had very little to do with it.

The most special moment of the visit from President Barack Obama & First Lady Michelle Obama (Michelle’s brother Craig Robinson is the head coach of the Oregon State team that crushed the Tigers Saturday afternoon) came at halftime.

Athletic Director Mike Waddell introduced Head Coach Rob Ambrose & the CAA Champion football team, who were enjoying a week off as they prepared for their FCS playoff showdown with Lehigh next Saturday at Unitas Stadium. The President walked out to greet the team, then posed for a picture to the absolute delight of the young men.

It was the type of moment that induces chills. Wow.

2. I’m really jealous of the Cincinnati Bengals for having AJ Green on their roster.

Oh, and Jermaine Gresham too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFByq1hpVGE

They duo (and Cincy QB Andy Dalton) were vital in the Bengals’ come from behind win over the Cleveland Browns Sunday in a game that judging by the attendance no one in the Queen City knew was happening…

Can’t help but notice a few empty seats in the background there, gang. This is a team fighting for AT LEAST an AFC Wild Card spot, not completely out of the AFC North race. This is the best you can do? Maybe “Los Angeles Bengals” has a nice ring?

Since we’re here, here’s a picture of Colt McCoy Tebowing…

3. Rob Gronkowski is not the only reason the Patriots are good, but something tells me there’s a correlation between 11 TD catches and a 6’6″ frame.

To be fair, the way New England was playing Sunday it’s possible a 4’6″ receiver could have caught a TD from Tom Brady Sunday at The Linc…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwO47-nf1lM

Vince Young threw for 400 yards in the defeat, basically because he had no choice but to throw the football every time the Philadelphia Eagles had the ball.

That SHOULD put the final nail in Philly’s “Dream Team” coffin. Andy Reid’s has been sitting open for awhile now outside the City of Brotherly Love. Will it be nailed down as well? We’ll see.

4. Robert Griffin III’s injury might be just enough to default the Heisman Trophy back to Andrew Luck somehow.

The other candidate in the mix (and perhaps the frontrunner) is Alabama RB Trent Richardson, but we’ll get back to him.

After an incredible performance a week earlier against Oklahoma, the Baylor QB might have been one more spectacular performance away from locking up the chance to hear his name called in New York in two weeks. Unfortunately, RG3 was taken out of the game in the second half (probably for a concussion) and had to watch the second of the Bears’ win over Texas Tech from the Cowboys Stadium sideline…

So…Stanford QB Andrew Luck (the preordained winner of the Heisman before the season) was back in the picture with the chance to lock the thing up. Luck was good but not great in the Cardinal’s win over Notre Dame and left the thing up for grabs again.

As I searched YouTube for a recap video of Luck’s final game at Stanford Stadium I believe a Fighting Irish fan summed it up well by channeling M*A*S*H…

I don’t even know what that means!

The (regular) season is over for Richardson so he won’t have another chance to make a statement. Luck’s Cardinal don’t get another chance either since Oregon won the Pac-12 North. Baylor will play host to Texas next week in Waco, but Griffin’s status is up in the air due to his injury.

If none play again, I think I’d vote Luck. Someone will yell at me for that. Go ahead.

5. Houston is a Conference USA Championship Game win over Southern Miss away from playing in a BCS Bowl.

Fourth on the list (of three) candidates to win the Heisman is Cougars QB Case Keenum, who shredded Tulsa Friday in a manner similar to the way he’s shredded everyone else he’s played this season.

If the Cougars top the Golden Eagles in next week’s C-USA title game, they’ll become the first ever team from the conference to make a BCS bowl. Teams from the WAC and Mountain West have played BCS buster, but never C-USA.

Someone will call the occasion “historic”. Those people won’t really know what the word historic means.

6. Another reason why I like Tim Tebow? Sabermetricians would hate him.

He effing did it again, huh?

You know what’s the ONLY THING IN THE WORLD that could make us not spend the entire week talking about the Denver Broncos’ QB? How about a picture of San Diego Chargers kicker Nick Novak peeing on the sidelines at Qualcomm Stadium?

Thanks CBS!

7. Mark Sanchez also really pissed off a lot of haters Sunday.

The New York Jets’ QB threw for four TD’s, including a game winner to Santonio Holmes in their win over the Buffalo Bills…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJtRuC19Ab8

We’ll of course remember the game as the time Bills WR Stevie Johnson insisted on making a complete ass out of himself…

…again.

Dan Marino was asked about what he thought of Sanchez Sunday, but he was too busy checking out Victoria’s Secret model Lily Aldridge’s boobs to respond…

And here’s my cue to post another VS picture of Aldridge…