The AU men’s basketball team opened conference play with a 75-67 loss at Loyola to extend its losing streak to five. The Eagles, who trailed by five at halftime, stayed within range of the Greyhounds for most of the game but failed to secure the come-from-behind victory in the final minutes. Here are some quick takes from the game.
Struggles on defense
The Eagles had a tough time staying in front of Loyola, which led to some high efficiency shooting for the Greyhounds. Loyola shot 50 percent from the floor and converted on 8-13 shots from beyond the arc. Loyola senior guard Eric Laster hit all four of his threes and scored 17 points off the bench. Last season, the Eagles allowed 75 points or more just twice in league play. The Eagles, who have prided themselves on the defensive end over the past two years, must improve if they are going to complete in the Patriot League this year.
A strong game from Paris Maragkos
While senior guard Jesse Reed led the team in scoring with 20 points, including ten in the final minute, junior Paris Maragkos was the story of the game for the Eagles. After playing just six minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, Maragkos came out firing in the second half scoring nine points in less than four minutes of game play putting the Eagles down just 44-40 with 14:56 left in the second half. Unfortunately, Maragkos picked up his fourth foul with 12:39 left. In the five minutes Maragkos sat out, the Greyhounds went on an 11-4 run to extend their lead to 55-44. The 6’9 forward finished with 17 points in just 19 minutes. If Maragkos can stay out of foul trouble, he will be a force for the Eagles in league play.
The Rotation
After playing nine to ten players for most of the non-conference schedule, head coach Mike Brennan averted back to his old habits of keeping a tight rotation. Only seven Eagles saw action against Loyola. Senior forward Marko Vasic and junior forward Leon Tolksdorf were the only two Eagles who came off the bench. With higher stakes in conference games, Brennan is clearly less willing to experiment, instead choosing guys he trusts in the heart of the season. As the season goes on, depending on how competitive AU plays, it will be interesting to watch and see if players like freshman forward Lonnie Rivera and junior guard Jalen Rhea are able to crack the rotation.
Free throw shooting
While the Eagles stayed close for most of the game, the Greyhounds ultimately pulled away thanks to some impressive foul shooting. In the final 3:18 of the game, leading by just six, the Greyhounds hit 11-12 shots from the foul line to fortify their lead. The Greyhounds shot 27-31 overall from the line and were lead by senior guard Tyler Hubbard who was a perfect 10-10. The Eagles on the other hand, were just 17-25. The eight missed foul shots would have been the difference as the Eagles lost by eight points.
Next up: Home against Colgate on January 3
