Quick Hits About The Hounds
- Loyola University Maryland plays its final regular-season road game of the year on Wednesday, February 26, when it heads Annapolis, Maryland to face the U.S. Naval Academy.
- The game will stream live on the Patriot League Network.
- Santi Aldama has averaged 13.0 points in his first seven games for Loyola, a stretch in which Loyola is 6-1.
- KaVaughn Scott has two double-doubles in Loyola's last three games.
- Andrew Kostecka had his 14th game this season with 20 or more points, and the 34th of his career, February 12 at American when he scored 28; he also has nine games with 25+ this year, and his 32 versus American on January 22 marked his eighth career 30-plus point performance and fourth this season. He has finished with 10 or more 37 times since the start of his sophomore year (2017-18). He has averaged 18.2 points in that span.
- Tavaras Hardy is in his second season on the Loyola sidelines after he was named the 21st head coach in Loyola men's basketball history on March 28, 2018.
- In Hardy's first two seasons, Loyola improved its field-goal percentage from .438 in 2017-18 to .469 in 2019-20, rising from 218th in NCAA Division I in the category to 34th. The Greyhounds' assists per game have jumped from 11.6 to 15.5.
Series History Versus Navy
- With campuses located 26 miles apart (as the crow flies), Loyola and Navy will meet for the 37th time on the hardwood when the teams play Wednesday evening.
- The Midshipmen lead the series 27-9 after winning the teams split the 2018-2019 season series, each winning on its own home court.
- When the teams met on February 1, 2020, in Reitz Arena, Loyola led for the final 31 minutes as four players scored 11 or more points, led by Andrew Kostecka's 21.
- Kostecka's 21 game as he went 13 of 14 from the free-throw line, and he also had a game-high seven rebounds. Jaylin Andrews added 16 points, while Isaiah Hart had 14. Santi Aldama made his collegiate debut against the Midshipmen and he finished with 11 points, three assists and a blocked shot in just 17 minutes of action.
About The Midshipmen
- Navy comes into Wednesday's game with a 13-14 overall record and a 7-9 mark in the Patriot League.
- Cam Davis leads the Midshipmen with 16.5 points per game, while John Carter, Jr., is averaging 10.9.
- Greg Summers is the team's leading rebound with 6.3 per game.
Last Time Out
- Loyola took a 10-point lead with 10:09 left in regulation on a Golden Dike layup, and while the Greyhounds did not score a field goal for the rest of the game, Loyola held on for a 70-68 win over Lafayette on the road Sunday.
- Both Spanish freshmen on the Loyola roster – Santi Aldama and Golden Dike – had double-doubles in the game as three Greyhounds scored 14 or more points. Dike scored 14 points and matched his career-high with 12 rebounds, while Aldama equaled Dike's point total and also grabbed 10 rebounds. Andrew Kostecka scored a team-high 16 points and had seven rebounds.
- Up 50-49 after Myles Cherry scored a pair in transition for the Leopards, Loyola scored the next nine points. Cam Spencer hit his third 3-pointer of the afternoon with 11:11 on the clock, and Loyola led 59-49. A long E.J. Stephens jumper got Lafayette back within single-digits, but Dike's driving layup at 10:09 pushed the lead back to 10. Just over a minute later, Kostecka made two free throws to put Loyola (15-14, 7-9) in front, 63-51, its largest lead of the game.
- Later, the Leopards' Leo O'Boyle hit a three with 27 seconds left, and Loyola was clinging to a 68-66 advantage. Kostecka made one of two at the line, and the Greyhounds then held Lafayette without a basket as it missed two contested 3-pointers before Kostecka grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He again made one of two, but it was enough to seal the win.
Into Third
- Andrew Kostecka had his 34th career game with 20 or more points on February 12 at American with his 28 total also providing him with a couple of milestones.
- He jumped three players on the school's all-time scoring list to finish the night in third. Only Jim Lacy (2,199, 1943-44 and 1946-49) and Kevin Green (2,154, 1988-92) have scored more career points than Kostecka who now has 1,751.
- Kostecka also became the 16th player in Patriot League history to score 1,700 career points, and he is now 14th in conference history in scoring.
Doble-Doble
- Doble-doble is Spanish for "double-double," and that's what the two Spaniards on Loyola's posted when the Greyhounds took a 70-68 road decision at Lafayette on February 23.
- Santi Aldama had the first double-double of his collegiate career with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Golden Dike scored the same amount and matched his career-high with 12 rebounds.
- It marked the second time this season two Greyhounds have posted double-doubles in the same game (Jaylin Andrews & KaVaughn Scott, January 18 at Army West Point).
Long-Awaited Debut
- Freshman post Santi Aldama had to wait until the fourth month of the 2019-2020 season to make his Loyola debut after missing the first 22 games of the year with an injury.
- Aldama, who was ranked as high as the No. 65 recruit in the nation prior to the season, came off the bench early in the first half against Navy on February 1 and scored 11 points, on 4 of 6 shooting from the field, to go with three assists and a blocked shot. He followed that with two more 11-point performances, scoring the same amount at Holy Cross and against Bucknell while grabbing eight and seven rebounds, respectively.
- The Most Valuable Player of the 2019 FIBA U-18 European Championships then broke out with 22 points, making five 3-pointers, and eight boards in a win over Colgate. He posted his first collegiate double-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds at Lafayette.
- Through six games, Aldama is averaging 12.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.6 blocked shots per game.
Triple Threat
- Santi Aldama was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week on February 10, becoming the third Loyola player to garner the award this year, following Golden Dike and Cam Spencer.
- Loyola is the only team in the League to have three different freshmen win the rookie award this year.
- Aldama earned the award again on February 24 after averaging 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in wins over Army West Point and Lafayette.
Another Freshman Returns
- Cam Spencer was Loyola's second-leading scorer after the first 14 games of the year, and he led the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio by a wide margin following the Patriot League opener on January 2.
- That game, however, was Spencer's last until February 5 when he returned to action after an injury. He missed nine-straight games, a stretch in which the Greyhounds went 1-8.
- Spencer had his best performance since his return in an 84-80 win over Colgate on February 16, scoring 13 while pushing out four assists. He followed that with 11 points, all in the second half, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 40 seconds left against Colgate, and nine at Lafayette.
- In those games, he has shot 61.1 percent from the field and 60 percent from 3-point range.
Not A Coincidence
- The Greyhounds have gone 7-1 in Patriot League games this year in which Cam Spencer and/or Santi Aldama have been on the court.
- Spencer played in the opening win over Holy Cross, and Aldama came back on February 1 when Loyola started a stretch of six wins in its last seven games. Spencer played in the last six of those games, and the Greyhounds are 14-6 in the games he has played this year.
Stats That Matter
- Improved play was been reflected in Loyola's stats over its recent six wins as the Greyhounds snapped an eight-game skid on February 1.
- During the eight losses, opponents shot 49.5 percent to Loyola's 45.0. In its six wins since then, Loyola held opponents to 38.9 percent from the field while shooting 49.2 percent. The different has been significant in 3-point defense, too, where Loyola allowed 39.5 percent in the losses to 25.4 percent over the six wins.
Getting To The Line
- Loyola took 46 free throws in both games it played this year against Bucknell, the most by a Greyhounds team since November 2011 when it had the same number at UMBC.
- Overall, Loyola has gone to the line 703 times this season, good for fifth in the NCAA. It leads the Patriot League in both free throws made and attempted.
- Loyola's free-throw rate is third-best in the nation this year, according to KenPom.com. The Greyhounds get to the line at rate of 44.7, dividing free-throws attempted (703) by field-goals attempted (1,600).
Strong Stretch
- KaVaughn Scott has posted the best numbers of his collegiate career this season, what will be his last for Loyola. In his freshman, sophomore and junior campaigns, he averaged 4.5 points and 3.3 rebounds over 81 games. This year, the senior is averaging 8.9 and 5.3.
- In 15 Patriot League games – he missed the January 5 contest at Lehigh with an injury – Scott has averaged 9.9 points and 6.2 rebounds after finishing non-conference play with averages of 7.6 and 4.2. He has scored in double figures in four of Loyola's last five games with two of his four career double-doubles during that run.
One And Only
- Andrew Kostecka does a lot of everything for the Greyhounds, and it is reflected in his statistics. He is the only player in NCAA Division I (through games of February 24) who is averaging 20 points, five rebounds (5.2), two steals and two assists (2.6) per game this year.
- This year, Kostecka is 19th in Division I in points per game (20.6), 16th in total points (576), 39th in steals per game (2.0), 29th in field goals made (192) and 11th in free throws made (146).
Rounding Into Form
- Jaylin Andrews shook off a slow start to the 2019-20 season, averaging just 5.2 points in Loyola's 13 non-conference games, shooting 31.9 percent from the field and 20.9 from 3-point range. Since Patriot League games have started, though, Andrews is averaging 9.8 points.
- In Loyola's last 11 games, Andrews has averaged 11.4 points.
Stepping Up Scoring
- With injuries up and down the Greyhounds lineup since the start of Patriot League games, Isaiah Hart has increased his scoring output by almost six points per game. He tied KaVaughn Scott for team-high honors with 17 points at Colgate and then scored a to-date season-high 21 points versus Lafayette, making a career-best four 3-pointers.
- In 16 Patriot League games this year, Hart has averaged 11.9 points, up from 6.6 he was averaging in non-conference games. He has played 52 career Patriot League regular-season games and has averaged 12.0 points over those contests. He also has a 10.0 overall career scoring average with 919 total points.
Moving Up The Charts
- Andrew Kostecka had three steals on Jan. 2 against Holy Cross, moving him past former teammate Andre Walker (2014-18) for second all-time at Loyola. Now with 221, he trails only Jason Rowe (1996-2000) who is the Greyhounds' all-time record-holder with 273. Kostecka is eighth all-time in the Patriot League in the category.
Shooting Numbers
- The Greyhounds' offense is trending positively in many metrics this season. Two years ago, the Greyhounds were 305th in effective field-goal percentage, and they now rank 32nd (53.3) in the category that weights 3-pointers more significantly.
- Loyola has made 55.4 percent of its 2-point field goal attempts this year, good for ninth nationally (h/t kenpom.com).
Dishing It Out
- Loyola has posted 20 or more assists five times this year through 29 games, making it nine times since Tavaras Hardy took over as head coach in 2018-19 the Greyhounds have had 20-plus. In the eight years prior to Hardy's arrival, the Greyhounds had 20 or more assists just three times and only twice against NCAA Division I teams.
- Last year, Loyola averaged 14.0 assists, up from 11.9 in 2017-2018. This season, it is averaging 15.5 a mark that ranks 25th in NCAA Division I, while its 450 total dimes are 17th. That total is also eighth-most in school single-season history.
- Of the Greyhounds' 750 made field goals this year, 59.6 percent of them have been assisted. According to kenpom.com, that percentage is 20th-best in the nation. As recently as two years ago, Loyola ranked 332nd nationally in assist percentage.
30 Last Decade
- Andrew Kostecka's 30-point performance against VCU marked the 15th time from 2010-19 that a Loyola player scored 30 or more in a game. Kostecka did it six times, more than any other player. Andre Walker scored 30 or more four times, Dylon Cormier did it three times and Erik Etherly accomplished it once.
- He then had the first 30-point performance of the 2020s, finishing with 37 on January 2 against Holy Cross. After scoring 32 against American on January 22, he has four games this season with 30-plus and eight in his career.
From Downtown
- Kenneth Jones knocked down all five of his 3-point attempts against Fairfield en route to scoring a to-date career-high 19 points in the overtime win against the Stags, tying for the third-best performance in school history.
- Through 29 games, Jones is 38 of 90 from 3-point range and leads the Patriot League with a .422 percentage from behind the arc among qualified players (minimum 1.5 made per game).
Season For The Books
- Andrew Kostecka had one of the most statistically prolific seasons in Loyola men's basketball history last year when he averaged 21.3 points, scoring 682 in 32 contests. His 682 points were second in program history behind only Andre Collins' 2005-06 total of 731 which is the school record.
- The All-Patriot League First Team and All-Defensive Team honoree's 152 free throws made were eighth in single-season history, and Kostecka's 85 steals were good for third and are the most since Jason Rowe set the school record with 95 in 1998-99.
- Overall, he finished eighth nationally in steals per game, 11th in total steals, 27th in points per game, 30th in field goals made and 36th in total points.
In The Patriot League, Too
- In the history of the Patriot League, only two players have averaged 20+ points, 4.5+ rebounds, 2.0+ steals and 2.0+ assists. NBA All-Star C.J. McCollum did it for Lehigh University in both 2010-11 and 2011-12, and Andrew Kostecka did so in 2018-19 and is on pace to do it again this year.
