WORCESTER, Mass. –
Alonso Faure recorded his fourth career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebound, and
Deon Perry eclipsed the 20-point mark for the fifth time this season with a game-high 26, but College of the Holy Cross pulled away for an 86-78 Patriot League victory on Saturday afternoon at the Hart Center.
The teams played to a 34-34 tie after the opening half, and Loyola took a 42-40 lead less than three minutes into the second on a
D'Angelo Stines 3-pointer, but the Crusaders made two-thirds of their second-half shots (16 of 24) in the win.
Two free throws by Perry with 8:06 left in regulation tied the game at 61-61, but Holy Cross had three-point players on three of their next four possessions.
Will Batchelder made a left-corner three 12 seconds after Perry's free throws, and Bo Montgomery converted a traditional three-point play with 7:25 on the clock. Batchelder then connected on another three, and the Crusaders' lead with eight, 70-62 with 6:24 on the clock.
Loyola got that margin down to two, 70-68, in less than two minutes after
Milos Ilic bookended a Faure hook shot with two baskets in the paint, but the Greyhounds could not tie or take the lead for the remainder of the game.
From that point on – covering the last 4:31 of the game – Holy Cross was 5 of 5 from the field and 6 of 6 from the foul line.
Perry's 26 were four off his career-high set on January 10 at Army West Point and give him four games with 20 or higher this season against Patriot League teams.
Faure had a season-best 11 rebounds and was two off his career-high of 18 points from November at Missouri.
Stines added 11 points for the Greyhounds, while Ilic and
Tyson Commander each scored five.
Loyola returns to Reitz Arena on Wednesday, January 24, to host a 7 p.m. game against Lafayette College.
