In what might have been the biggest win in Jimmy Patsos' four years at Loyola, the Greyhounds turned back the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's best big man and forged an improbable tie for first place.
It took a frenetic second-half comeback, a gritty commitment on defense, and a curious officiating call in the final 16 seconds to get Loyola past Rider, 73-68, last night at Reitz Arena and into a four-way logjam at the top of the MAAC.
"I'm glad we're in first, but I want to end up in first," Patsos said after Loyola erased a 15-point first-half deficit. "You had to be here the first day [when he inherited a 1-29 team] ... to appreciate being in first place and having a chance to win."
Loyola (16-12, 11-5) arrived in first after knocking off the No. 2 and No. 1 teams in the MAAC (Siena and Rider) in the space of three days.
"We knew this was a rough two-game stretch," Loyola's Gerald Brown said. "It took a great team effort up there [in Albany, N.Y., on Saturday] and tonight it was a great team effort."
Brown and Michael Tuck - the lone holdover from Patsos' first season - showed the way. Brown scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds in 37 minutes. Tuck scored 16 of his 20 points in the second-half comeback and had nine rebounds.
As much as anything, the Greyhounds beat Rider with defense. Jason Thompson, Rider's 6-foot-11 senior, attracted 10 NBA scouts - and the imagination of a lot of Loyola fans. He had 24 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 11-for-16.
But it was the defensive job Loyola did on Harris Mansell and Ryan Thompson in the second half that turned the tide. Mansell and Thompson combined for 28 points in the first half, but got only a total of five in the second.
Brown held Ryan Thompson to two points in the second half.
"I got yelled at at halftime," Brown said. "It was my job to stop [Ryan Thompson] from scoring."
The game was tied at 67 with 2:06 left. Brian Rudolph fed Omari Isreal for a go-ahead layup at 1:11. After Brown stripped Jason Thompson of the ball at 40.5 seconds, Rider elected to play defense rather than foul and Rudolph made them pay with a drive to the basket.
He scored on the play; the basket was allowed even though he drew a charge in the process. Mansell hit one of two free throws to get within 71-68, and then Tuck iced the game with two foul shots at 14 seconds.
ken.murray@baltsun.com
RIDER-J.Thompson 11-16 2-4 24, Ringgold 2-3 1-2 5, R.Thompson 6-12 2-2 15, Robinson 0-3 0-0 0, H.Mansell 7-11 0-0 18, Warner 0-0 0-0 0, Green 0-0 0-0 0, Griffin 1-6 0-0 3, Johnson 0-1 0-0 0, P.Mansell 0-3 0-0 0, Myers 0-1 3-4 3. Totals 27-56 8-12 68. LOYOLA-Isreal 4-5 1-2 9, Tuck 7-12 5-5 20, Brown 4-13 5-6 16, Harvey 3-7 1-2 10, Rudolph 4-8 0-0 8, Lewis 0-0 0-0 0, Sullivan 4-10 0-0 10, Manning 0-1 0-0 0, Ficke 0-0 0-0 0, Fofana 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-56 12-15 73. Half-Rider 41-29. 3-point goals-Rider 6-20 (H.Mansell 4-7, R.Thompson 1-4, Griffin 1-5, Johnson 0-1, J.Thompson 0-1, P.Mansell 0-2), Loyola 9-25 (Harvey 3-7, Brown 3-8, Sullivan 2-4, Tuck 1-3, Rudolph 0-3). Fouled out-Ringgold, R.Thompson. Rebounds-Rider 31 (J.Thompson 10), Loyola 34 (Tuck 9). Assists-Rider 10 (J.Thompson 4), Loyola 17 (Rudolph 10). Total fouls-Rider 19, Loyola 14. A-1,621.