OMAHA, Neb. – IUPUI took a 63-62 lead with 7:31 left in regulation on a Marcus Burk runner, but Loyola University Maryland used an 11-2 run spanning the next three-plus minutes to take control of the game and pull away for an 81-77 victory in the first round of The Mainland Tournament at Omaha of the Cayman Islands Classic.

With the win, Loyola will play in the title game Tuesday, facing either Southern University or host University of Nebraska, Omaha. Southern wins Monday's second game, the championship game will go off at 4:30 p.m.; a Mavericks victory would push the contest to 7 p.m.
 
Burk, who had a game-high 32 points gave the Panthers a one-point lead for their first advantage since the six-minute mark of the first half. Andrew Kostecka was fouled taking a three on Loyola's next possession, but he hit just one of three at the line, tying the game at 63-63.
 
Kostecka then had a steal and fast-break layup with 6:46 to play, giving the Greyhounds the lead for good.
 
He finished with six steals to go with as many rebounds and 15 points. Kostecka's performance moved him into fourth all-time at Loyola in steals with 181, four back of tying Dylon Cormier (2010-14) for third. At 181, he is also tied for 15^th in career steals in the Patriot League.
 
KaVaughn Scott had a season-high 13 point and completed an and-one with a basket and free throw at 6:17. Loyola then forced an IUPUI turnover, and Kostecka fed Spencer for an 18-foot jumper to make it a 70-63 Greyhounds lead.
 
Elyjah Goss slowed the run with a layup for IUPUI, but Spencer then flared off a screen and drained a three to push the lead to eight.
 
Spencer finished with 13 points, one off his career-high, to go with five assists without a turnover.
 
The eight-point lead would be the highest the Greyhounds pushed it in the final five minutes as IUPUI whittled its deficit to only two, 79-77 on a Burk layup with 15.9 seconds left.
 
Isaiah Hart caught the inbound pass for Loyola, was fouled and knocked down both free throws to seal the victory. Hart had a season- and team-high 16 points for Loyola.
 
Loyola built a seven-point lead in the game's first seven minutes. A Hart free throw at 13:49 gave the Greyhounds an 18-11 cushion, but the Panthers reeled off 15-straight points to build a 26-18 advantage on a Grant Weatherford runner with 10:17 left in the half.
 
Jaylin Andrews knocked down a three just 14 ticks later, however, sparking an 8-0 run where Brent Holcombe tied the score at 26-26 on a layup at 6:01.
 
Burk momentarily gave the Panthers (2-4) a two-point lead, but threes on back-to-back possessions by Kostecka put the advantage in Loyola's column for the remainder of the half.
 
In addition to the four who scored in double-figures – Hart (16), Kostecka (15), Scott (14) and Spencer (13) – Kenneth Jones added nine, while Holcombe and Andrews each had seven. Andrews also matched his career-high with four assists.