BALTIMORE –
Braeden Speed scored a career-high 30 points Wednesday night to propel Loyola University Maryland to a 77-68 win over visiting American University in Patriot League play at Reitz Arena.
The sophomore guard from Phoenix got to the free-throw line 14 times and made 11, and he knocked down nine field goals to score 15 in each half.
Carter Berg-McLean just missed a double-double off the bench with career-bests of 12 points and nine rebounds, and
Jordan Stiemke hit three early 3-pointers to help the Greyhounds (8-14 overall, 4-5 Patriot League) take a lead in the first six minutes that they would not relinquish; he also added a season-high three blocked shots.
Loyola led by eight, 33-25, with 1:55 left in the first half, but the Greyhounds scored nine of the next 12 points for a 42-28 halftime lead. The Eagles (13-9, 6-3) rallied early in the second half, trimming their deficit to five, 45-40, on a Geoff Sprouse three less than four minutes into the second half.
The Greyhounds rallied immediately with Speed making one of two at the line and
Sebastien Emenalo knocking down a left-corner three at 15:06. After a missed shot by American, Speed pulled up from 15 feet to hit a jumper that pushed the lead to 11, 51-40, at 14:30.
American got it back to six, 51-45, on a Madden Collins traditional 3-point play, but again Loyola would get the margin into double digits within three minutes.
The Greyhounds' lead ballooned to 18, 68-50, on two Speed free throws with 4:01 left, but American went on a 15-2 run and pulled within five when Collins drove and scored at 1:33.
Speed was fouled on the next two Loyola possessions that wrapped around a defensive stop, and he made three of four from the line to move the gap back to eight. Sprouse, however, hit a closely-defended three with 32 ticks of the clock left, and it was again a five-point game, 73-68.
Those were the last points the Eagles scored, however, and Speed and Berg-McLean each made two free throws before Stiemke had a steal in the final eight seconds to seal the win.
Loyola controlled a 39-28 advantage on the boards and allowed only two American offensive rebounds. The Eagles did not convert any second-chance points in the game.
American shot 50 percent from the field (14 of 28) in the second half, while Loyola was 8 of 21 (38.1), but the Greyhounds converted 18 of 23 free throws (78.3) after halftime and 24 of 29 (82.8) in the game.
Loyola will be back in action on Saturday, January 31, with a nearby road trip to play at Navy in a 4 p.m. game.
