BALTIMORE – Brent Holcombe scored the last of his 13 second-half points on a free throw with 34 seconds left Friday night, and Isaiah Hart knocked down two from the charity stripe just over 20 seconds later, sealing an 80-77 Loyola University Maryland win over Johns Hopkins University in exhibition play.
 
The Greyhounds, who open their regular-season at Marquette University on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. (Central)/8 p.m. (Eastern), shot 69.2 percent from the field in the second half and held the visiting Blue Jays to 29.6 percent.
 
Loyola scored the first 11 points of the second half to cut a 45-26 halftime deficit to eight just over three minutes into the frame. Johns Hopkins, which led by as many as 21 in the first half, shot 62.1 percent before the break, making 7 of 12 from 3-point range.
 
The Blue Jays had a 14-point lead, 64-50, with 10:02 left in regulation after two Braeden Johnson free throws, but Loyola reeled off 15 of the next 17 points to close within one on a Chuck Champion layup at 6:06.
 
Harry O'Neil put Johns Hopkins up four with a basket at 5:19, but Loyola had another run in it, scoring five in a row to go ahead 71-70 on a Jaylin Andrews 3-pointer with 4:30 on the clock. Tom Quarry, however, shifted the advantage back to the Blue Jays with two points in the paint just over 30 ticks later.
 
On Loyola's ensuing possession, KaVaughn Scott rolled after setting a screen for Champion, and Champion slipped a pass to him for a dunk that put Loyola on top. O'Neill hit two Johns Hopkins free throws at 1:56, giving them another one-point advantage. Champion then made one of two at the line 16 seconds later to tie it for the third time in the game.
 
A Johns Hopkins turnover put the ball back on Loyola's side, and Hart dribbled out of trouble, kicking a pass to Andrew Kostecka, and he drilled a three at the top left to make it 77-74 Greyhounds with 1:04 on the clock. Joey Kern, however, responded with a three for Johns Hopkins 15 seconds after Kostecka's, and the game was tied at 77.
 
Holcombe missed on the offensive end for the Greyhounds, but he was fouled on the rebound. The post player made one of two at the line, and after Loyola got a stop on a missed Blue Jays three, Hart was fouled. He made both at the stripe to give the Greyhounds a three-point cushion.
 
Both teams had turnovers after that, and a last-second three by Johns Hopkins went off the mark, securing the win.
 
Kostecka led Loyola with 22 points as one of five players with 10 or more points. Champion poured in 15, Holcombe added 13, Scott tallied 11 and Andrews finished with 10.