BALTIMORE –
Jordan Stiemke scored 10 of his career-high 25 points during a 14-0 Loyola University Maryland run in the first half that helped push the Greyhounds to an 80-74 win in their Patriot League home opener against Lehigh University on Sunday afternoon.
Stiemke made 9 of 14 shots overall and was 6 of 6 from the free-throw line to eclipse his previous high of 23 from a February 2024 game at Boston University. He also grabbed seven rebounds, matching
Jacob Theodosiou for team-high honors, to tie his season-best.
Lehigh (6-7 overall, 1-1 Patriot League) led 11-6 6:24 into the game after a Tommy Conniff basket in the paint, but two Stiemke free throws 28 ticks of the clock later sparked the run.
He would knock down his lone 3-pointer of the game at 11:47, had a traditional 3-point play with a basket and free throw on the Greyhounds' next possession, and he then scored in the paint at 10:32 to make it 18-11 in favor of Loyola (6-7, 1-1).
Milos Ilic grabbed an offensive rebound and scored just over a minute later, and Loyola led, 20-11.
Lehigh, however, would come back to tie the game four minutes later and lead late in the first half before two
Braeden Speed baskets in the paint in the final minute of the stanza gave Loyola a 37-34 lead at the break.
The Mountain Hawks scored the second half's first four points and a Tyler Whitney-Sidney layup gave them a 38-37 lead 43 seconds into the period.
Ilic, however, would score in the paint 22 seconds later, and Loyola would be in front for the remainder of the game.
The Greyhounds' lead swelled to nine on two occasions in the second half, but Lehigh pulled within a point, 59-58, on a Hank Alvey putback with 6:20 left in regulation.
Ilic would score twice, wrapped around two Stiemke free throws, and Loyola led by seven with 4:35 on the clock.
The margin again got to nine under two minutes; Lehigh would chip away, but Loyola responded with made free throws to hold off any comeback.
Theodosiou went 12 of 14 from the line and was 9 of 10 in the final two minutes from the charity stripe. Overall, Loyola converted 13 of 14 free throws in that time frame with Speed and Ilic both cashing in twice.
Speed finished with eight points, and
Veljko Ilic came off the bench to score nine and grab six rebounds.
Milos Ilic and
Troy Cicero Jr. tied for team-high honors with three assists each.
Loyola will continue a stretch of five Patriot League games in 12 days to start the conference calendar on Wednesday, January 8, with a 6 o'clock tip at Army West Point.
