BALTIMORE –
Milos Ilic scored a career-high 28 points and had his second-straight double-double with 11 rebounds to lead a Loyola University Maryland men's basketball comeback from 14 down in the second half of a 70-67 win over Virginia Military Institute on Tuesday night in Reitz Arena.
Ilic made 12 of 16 shots from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line in his best statistical night as a collegian. He grabbed 11 boards to have his third double-double of the season and mark the first time in his career he has put up that feat in back-to-back games.
Loyola (3-3 overall) trailed by 14 twice at the start of the second half after the Keydets (4-4) scored on two of their first three possessions after the break to extend a 42-30 halftime lead to 46-32 with 18:53 to go in regulation.
The Keydets shots 57.7 percent from the field in the first half, but the Greyhounds slowly started to chip away at the lead. Loyola's deficit was 10, 53-43, when Ilic scored in the paint with 11:51 to go in regulation, and his and-one free throw made it a nine-point game following the media timeout.
He then scored on two of the Greyhounds' next three possessions to bring Loyola within five, 53-48, with 10:07 on the clock.
Chris Kuzemka knocked down a three from the top-left of the perimeter with 8:19 to play, cutting it to a one-point VMI lead. AJ Clark scored on the ensuing possession for the Keydets, but Ilic converted another traditional three-point play to tie the game with 6:47 on the clock. It was the Greyhounds were even or lead since 4:33 into the first half.
VMI was whistled for a flagrant foul on its next possession when Augustinas Kiudulas drove to the basket but his off arm made contact with Ilic's head. Ilic hit both foul shots to put Loyola in front, and when the Greyhounds retained possession,
Tyson Commander drove to the basket and laid in two for a 61-57 Loyola lead at 6:01.
The teams would trade the lead twice more over the next three minutes before
Jordan Stiemke drained a right-baseline three at 2:14, pushing the Greyhounds back into the lead.
Ilic scored in the paint with 1:26 on the clock to extend the lead to four, but Rickey Bradley hit his fourth 3-pointer of the game for the Keydets with 27 ticks on the clock, and Loyola lead was one, 68-67.
The Greyhounds brought the ball across the time-line, and
Braeden Speed was fouled with 16 seconds on the clock. He made both free throws.
On the defensive end, Speed blocked a Tan Yildizoglu 3-pointer, and Linus Holmstrom attempt from behind the arc went off the back iron. The ball was ruled to go off VMI after review, and Loyola go the ball in to Ilic who was fouled with six-tenths of a second left in the game. He missed the free throw, but the Keydets' desperation three was off, sealing the win.
Loyola held the Keydets to only six made field goals in the second on 23 attempts (26.1 percent). VMI made just four of its last 19 shots in the last 18 minutes of regulation.
VMI entered the game averaging 3.4 fewer turnovers per game than its opponents, but the Greyhounds handled the Keydets press and pressure and had a season-low seven turnovers against VMI's 12.
Stiemke was the other Greyhoudns player in double-figures with 13 points, while Commander finished with nine and
Jacob Theodosiou had eight.
Speed had a career-high seven assists and blocked three shots to go with a steal and four rebounds. Commander matched his career-best with six rebounds.
The Greyhounds will be off for the Thanksgiving holiday before returning to action on Monday, December 2, with a 7 p.m. game at Coppin State.
