The Loyola Ramblers fell short of advancing in their first game in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, falling in double overtime to the St. Bonaventure Bonnies 75-74. The Ramblers held the lead for most of the game, going cold in the later stages and finding themselves faced with a closer game than they intended. Here are three observations from the loss:
Blown lead comes back to haunt Ramblers
The Ramblers were on cruise control throughout the game, leading by as much as 15 points. Their lead was down to 11 points with seven minutes to go, with all the Ramblers needing to do was simply to close the game out.
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Instead, the Bonnies went on an 11-0 run to the end of regulation, tying the game to force overtime. The Ramblers shooting woes continued from there, being held to 38.5 percent from the field and 0-4 from deep.
Daryl Banks III: March Hero
March Madness is known for its upsets and unlikely heroes. And while we haven’t officially reached March Madness quite yet, Daryl Banks III was that hero tonight. The guard finished the game with 22 points in 42 minutes off the bench.
Banks’ shooting is what propelled the Bonnies to victory, shooting a perfect 12-12 from the free-throw line. The Bonnies finished the game with four three-pointers and Banks had half of them, all coming in overtime.
NCAAB
Alston shines in comeback effort
In what was potentially his last game in a Rambler uniform, Philip Alston gave it his all. Alston did just about everything he could to will the team to victory, tying Banks with 22 points to share the lead for the game.
Alston was everywhere in the game’s late stages, throwing down dunk after dunk to keep the game tied. He helped with a perfect 2-2 effort from beyond the arc while also going 6-10 from the free-throw line.
The Ramblers’ fate is now up to the Selection Committee, as they await to see if they will play in some kind of postseason game.