BALTIMORE – Loyola University Maryland shot better than 65 percent from the field over the game's final 23 minutes, but it was not enough to surpass College of the Holy Cross, and the Crusaders scored an 80-73 victory in the teams' Patriot League opener on Thursday night at Reitz Arena.
 
Andrew Kosetcka scored a game-high 29 points, and Isaiah Hart had a season-best 17 for the Greyhounds (4-10 overall, 0-1 Patriot League), while Jehyve Floyd recorded a double-double for Holy Cross (10-4, 1-0), netting 20 points and 15 boards.
 
The Crusaders built a 29-13 lead with 3:48 to go in the first half on an Austin Butler jumper as Loyola was shooting just over 29 percent from the field to that point. Chuck Champion hit a pair of baskets for the Greyhounds with his shot at 1:51 making it a 31-17 game and sparking the improved shooting.
 
Kostecka was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three of his shots from the line at 1:28, and Hart pulled up from 15 feet to hit a basket with less than 50 seconds to go in the half, trimming Loyola's deficit to nine.
 
Butler and Hart then each went one of two at the charity stripe in the first half's final 30 seconds before Champion had a steal and fast-break score at the buzzer, bringing Loyola within seven, 32-25, at the break.
 
Loyola scored the first four points of the second half, the first twowhen Champion hit KaVaughn Scott for a dunk 24 second in, and the second pair on a Hart laypu that made it a three-point game with 18:44 left in regulation.
 
Holy Cross, however, responded with six-straight points, spurred by a Butler 3-pointer, and moments later, the Crusaders stretched the run to 20-7. Jacob Grandison's transition layup at 11:07 stretched the lead to 53-36, and with 9:30 remaining, Caleb Green knocked down a three to make it an 18-point advantage.
 
The Greyhounds rallied to score 19 of the next 28 points with a Sam Norton 3-pointer bringing Loyola back within single digits, 62-55, at the 4:59 mark. Grandiso, however, hit a three just over a minute later, and he later scored in the paint to make it an 11-point game with 1:44 on the clock.
 
Loyola pulled within five, 78-73, with under 25 seconds remaining as Hart hit two of three free throws, but his foul shots were the Greyhounds' final points of the game.
 
In addition to Floyd's 20 points, Green scored 16, Butler had 15 and Grandison added 13 for the Crusaders.
 
Norton had season-highs of seven points and seven rebounds for Loyola, and he added a pair of assists and two steals.
 
The Greyhounds shot 60.7 percent from the field (17-of-28) in the second half and outshot Holy Cross, 52 percent to 51 percent in the game.
 
Loyola hits the road for its next two Patriot League games, playing first at Lehigh University on Sunday, January 6, in a 2 p.m. contest.