WORCESTER, Mass. – Will Batchelder scored nine of his game-high 21 points for College of the Holy Cross in the first three minutes of the second half, knocking down a trio of 3-pointers, to help the Crusaders overcome visiting Loyola University Maryland, 63-55, on Sunday afternoon at the Hart Center.
Jaylin Andrews gave the Greyhounds a 31-30 lead with two free throws 10 seconds before the first half ended, and
Golden Dike scored in the paint in the first 80 seconds of the second half to make it a three-point lead.
Batchelder, however, hit his first 3-pointer of the game 15 seconds later, and after an
Alonso Faure bucket, Batchelder made another to put Holy Cross up ,36-35. He knocked down his third in as many possessions at 17:25, and the Crusaders led by four.
The Crusaders lead would not creep larger than seven until the last 10 seconds of the game, and Loyola would cut the lead to three on multiple second-half possessions.
Dike grabbed his own miss and put it in and scored with 3:40 to go, making Holy Cross' lead, 57-54. Batchelder, however, made 1 of 2 at the line on the Crusaders' next possession, and he then hit a three with 2:02 left in regulation that stretched the gap to seven.
Chris Kuzemka led the Greyhounds with 14 points in the game, and Dike had his second double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while
Kenneth Jones added 11.
The Greyhounds will stay on the road for their next game when they play at Bucknell University on Wednesday, January 11, at 7 p.m.
