WEST POINT, N.Y. – Andrew Kostecka had career-highs in points (32) and steals (7) on Wednesday night, and he moved into fourth on Loyola's single-season points chart, but the U.S. Military Academy dealt visiting Loyola University Maryland a 79-69 Patriot League defeat at Christl Arena.
 
Kostecka's 32 points eclipsed his previous best of 31 set twice earlier this season, at Drexel University and at American University. His seven steals are tied for third most in school history and are the most by a Greyhounds player since Andre Collins had the same total in a January 2006 game at Marist College.
 
With his 32 points, Kostecka's season total stands at 647 points. In Wednesday night's game, he moved up from seventh to fourth, passing Kevin Green (620 points, 1990-91), Gerald Brown (643, 2006-07) and Mike Powell (643, 1997-98). He is 19 shy of Mike Morrison's 666 points from 1987-88 that are third.
 
Kostecka's 80 steals this season are third-most in school single-season history behind only Jason Rowe's 1998-99 (95 steals) and 1997-98 (86) totals. Kostecka's total also is tied for sixth-most in Patriot League single-season history with the U.S. Naval Academy's Skip Victor (1998-99).
 
On Wednesday night, Kostecka scored Loyola's first seven points before a Chuck Champion three made it 10-6 just over five minutes in. A Casmir Ochiaka layup with 6:04 to play in the have stretched the advantage to six, 24-18, but Army West Point cut it to one less than two minutes later on a Matt Wilson free throw that made it 24-23.
 
Twice before the end of the half, Loyola took the lead to four, the last time on an Isaiah Hart jumper at 1:07 but an Alex King 3-pointer with 56 ticks to go before halftime sent the teams to the locker rooms with Loyola leading 33-32.
 
Army West Point scored 12 of the second half's first 14 points to lead 44-35 on an Aaron Duhart layup less than five minutes in.
 
Kenneth Jones brought Loyola's deficit to six with a three moments later, but Lonnie Grayson and John Emezie hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions for the Black Knights led by double-digits for all by two possessions the rest of the way.
 
Kostecka's 32 led all players and came on 11 of 17 from the field and a career-high five 3-pointers. No other Loyola player, however, scored in double-figures. Jaylin Andrews added nine, while Hart and Champion each had eight.
 
Emezie paced Army West Point players with 14 points.
 
Loyola wraps up the 2018-19 regular-season on Saturday, March 2, with a 7 p.m. home game against Lehigh University. The Greyhounds will celebrate Senior Day in a ceremony at 6:45 p.m. honoring James Fives and Sam Norton.