Feb. 5, 2010
Loyola vs. Cleveland State Game Notes 
Loyola (13-9, 4-8) vs. Cleveland State (11-12, 7-4)
February 6, 2010 - 3:00 p.m. CT
Chicago, Ill. - Gentile Center
Radio • WNTD (950 AM); WAUR (930 AM); WLUW (88.7 FM) • John Fitzgerald (play-by-play), John Tracy (analyst)
TV • Lakeshore Public Television
www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv
TODAY'S GAME
After snapping a four-game losing skid with a 92-85 overtime victory against Youngstown State Thursday night, Loyola looks to win consecutive contests for the first time in 2010 when it hosts Cleveland State Saturday afternoon. The Vikings have won four straight and seven of their last nine and are coming off a 74-63 win at UIC two nights ago. Currently in the midst of a three-games-in-five-days stretch, Loyola will play four of its final seven regular-season games at the Gentile Center where it is 8-3 this season.
SERIES NOTES
Loyola and Cleveland State are meeting for the 36th time in a series that dates back to the 1973-74 season. The Ramblers have won eight of the last nine meetings with the Vikings in Chicago, but had an eight-game winning streak at the Gentile Center snapped with an 83-70 loss last February. Loyola is 13-3 all-time against Cleveland State in games played on its home court. When the teams faced off at the Wolstein Center last month, the Ramblers couldn't make a three-point lead with less than two minutes to play stand up as the Vikings rallied for a 62-57 victory thanks to 20 points from Norris Cole. Terrance Hill and Walt Gibler tallied 13 points each to lead Loyola. Last season at the Gentile Center, Leon Young recorded 22 points, but it wasn't enough for the Ramblers as the Vikings hit 58 percent of their shots and picked up an 83-70 victory.
ON THIS DATE IN LOYOLA HISTORY
Twelve years ago today, Loyola pulled out a 60-58 win at Cleveland State as Javan Goodman paved the way to victory with 23 points and six rebounds.
"D" IS THE KEY
Loyola has emerged victorious 15 of the last 17 times it has held a team to fewer than 60 points. In its last four wins, Loyola's defense has done the job, holding opponents to 58.3 ppg. Loyola, which has allowed more than 70 points just twice in 13 wins this year has limited opponents to 62.8 ppg, 36 percent (87-for-242) from the field and 33 percent (30-for-90) from three-point range, in its four League victories. The Ramblers have surrendered just 57.8 ppg and limited foes to 36 percent (104-for-288) from the field, including 32 percent (31-for-98) from triple territory, in their last five wins overall.
PUTTING THE "O" IN LOYOLA
Loyola topped the 70-point plateau for the first time since Dec. 20 when it lit up the Gentile Center scoreboard for 92 points in Thursday's overtime victory versus Youngstown State. The 92 points are the most scored by the Ramblers since a 96-74 decision over John Carroll on Nov. 17, 2006 and marked just the fourth time in Jim Whitesell's tenure that the team has scores 90 or more points. The 92-point outburst was even more welcome considering Loyola had mustered just 53.3 ppg over its previous four contests at home. In shooting a robust .576 (34-for-59) from the field against Youngstown State Thursday night, the Ramblers posted their best accuracy rate since draining 59 percent (38-for-64) of their field goal attempts versus SIU Edwardsville Dec. 22, 2008.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
Since the start of the 2008-09 season, Loyola is 13-4, including a 7-3 mark this year, in games decided by five points or less. After opening the season with a 6-0 mark in games decided by five points or less, the Ramblers dropped heartbreakers at Cleveland State (62-57) and Youngstown State (71-67) before picking up a 55-50 victory at UIC Jan. 15. Loyola had been 3-0 at home in contests determined by five or fewer points until a 48-47 setback versus No. 20 Butler Jan. 21. Five of Loyola's last eight road games have been decided by five points or less.
REBOUNDING RAMBLERS
Through games of Jan. 31, Loyola ranked second in the Horizon League with a +4.1 rebounding margin. Since the inception of the League in 1979-80, the Ramblers have produced the conference's top board man nine times, more than any other school in the League's history, in 30 seasons, and Andy Polka currently paces the circuit with 9.0 rpg. Over the last four games however, the Ramblers have been beaten on the boards, 162-123 (40.5 to 30.8).
HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE
Under head coach Jim Whitesell, Loyola is 56-30 (.651) all-time at the Gentile Center, including 32-7 (.821) in non-conference action, and has won eight of its last 11 games at "The Joe." Thursday's win over Youngstown State was just the Ramblers' second over a Horizon League foe at the Gentile Center in the last nine contests.
WORKING OVERTIME
Under Jim Whitesell, Loyola is 5-5 in overtime games, including a 3-2 mark at home. Thursday's extra-session affair against Youngstown State marked the Ramblers' first contest to go extra time since a 71-67 setback at Green Bay March 1, 2008.
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS
Andy Polka needs just five rebounds to become the 14th player in Loyola history to grab 700 career boards. The 6-foot-7 rebounding machine was the Ramblers' leading board man as both a freshman and sophomore, and last year, despite appearing in only 11 games due to an ankle injury, still managed to post a team-high 5.5 rpg. Polka, who leads the Horizon League with 9.0 rpg, is on the cusp of becoming the third Rambler since the 1988-89 campaign to grab 9.0 rpg or better in a full season. Already this year, Polka has grabbed 10 or more rebounds on 11 occasions, which eclipses his previous season high of six, set in 2007-08. Loyola is 11-3 the last 13 games in which he has grabbed double-digit boards.
BEN AT WORK
Ben Averkamp, who has turned away 2.6 shots per game in the last six contests, returned to the starting lineup against Youngstown State Thursday night and responded with 12 points, which is his most since throwing in a season-high 17 points against Albany (Dec. 22), four rebounds and four blocks. In two games versus the Penguins this season, the freshman has racked up 11.5 ppg and 4.0 rpg, hitting 75 percent (9-for-12) of his field goal attempts, but against the rest of the Horizon League, has managed 3.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg and shot 38 percent (12-for-32). A starter in 20 contests, the 6-foot-8 forward has registered 8.2 ppg and shot 54 percent (44-for-81) from the field in the team's wins, compared to 3.8 ppg and 42 percent (13-for-31) shooting in its losses. Loyola is 5-1 when he scores in double figures and in Horizon League action, Averkamp is shooting 50 percent (4-for-8) from long range. Averkamp, who ranks second in the Horizon League with 1.4 bpg, is looking to become the first true freshman since Javan Goodman (20 total blocks) in 1995-96 to lead Loyola in blocked shots. Loyola is 8-1 when Averkamp scores eight or more points and in five games versus teams from Ohio this season, he is shooting 79 percent (11-for-14) from the field.
DOUBLE-DIGIT DELIGHT
For the first time since an 89-69 victory over Canisius in the Nov. 17 home opener, Loyola had five players score in double digits when Geoff McCammon (25), Courtney Stanley (18), Marcus Thomas (17), Ben Averkamp (12) and Walt Gibler (10) each tallied 10 or more points in Thursday's overtime win versus Youngstown State.
MAYBE IT IS HOW YOU START
Since the outset of the 2005-06 season, Loyola has compiled a 67-13 (.838) record in games in which it has held the lead at halftime, including an 8-2 mark in 2009-10. Both of those losses this season came at the hands of Detroit.
ON THE MARCUS
All signs are pointing to Marcus Thomas having snapped out of a scoring funk because over the last pair of outings, the sharpshooter has averaging 15.0 ppg and 3.0 rpg off the bench, while hitting shots at a sizzling 63 percent (10-for-16) clip from the field and a 67 percent (8-for-12) rate from long distance. The 6-foot-2 senior posted 12.2 ppg on 47 percent (25-for-53) shooting through the first six contests, then managed only 3.6 ppg on 35 percent (18-for-51) shooting in the next 14 outings prior to his recent two-game resurgence. Thomas, who started the year by hitting 14 of his first 25 (.560) triple tries, got off to a fast start this year by burying 23 threes through the first 12 games. Thomas has connected for two or more three-pointers in 11 of the team's first 22 contests of the year and has hit a three-pointer in seven straight outings, which matches the longest stretch of his career. Against Youngstown State Thursday night, he tossed in a career-high 17 points, marking the eighth time this season that he has scored in double figures. With a 49 percent (23-for-47) three-point percentage in Loyola's wins this year, Thomas has been a key to the team's success. Over the last seven outings, he is knocking down 46 percent (15-for-33) of his triple tries, after burying only 27 percent (4-for-15) in the previous nine games.
THAT 70s SHOW
Seventy points has been the benchmark for success when it comes to the Ramblers' offense the last few seasons. In 2007-08, Loyola went 7-0 when totaling at least 70 points. In fact, dating back to the 2006-07 season, Loyola has won 24 of its last 28 contests when it reaches the 70-point plateau, and is 5-0 when doing so in 2009-10.
LIVING IN THE 80s
Under Whitesell's watch, Loyola is a spotless 20-0 when scoring 80 or more points, including Thursday's 92-85 overtime win against Youngstown State.
THREE-MENDOUS
After connecting on only 31 percent (158-for-506) of their triple attempts a year ago and 28 percent (142-for-511) in 2007-08, the Ramblers have shored up their long-range shooting and are draining 38 percent (148-for-395) of such tries through 22 games this season. Loyola is challenging the current school accuracy record of .374 set in 1996-97.
STAN THE MAN
Philadelphia native Courtney Stanley ranks second in the Horizon League with 4.7 apg through games of Feb. 4 and twice this season has doled out 10 or more helpers in a game. Stanley is tallying 12.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 7.0 apg, 2.0 spg and is shooting 47 percent (8-for-17) from the field in the last pair of outings. He has been a key to the team's success as Loyola is 9-4 this season when he posts a positive assist-to-turnover ratio. In the Ramblers' four League wins, the sophomore point guard is tallying 10.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 5.0 apg. Stanley, who has helped Loyola to a 9-1 record when he hits 50 percent or more of his field goal tries, buried a three-pointer from halfcourt, while falling out of bounds as the final horn sounded, to lift Loyola to a 68-65 win at Bradley Dec. 16. In Loyola' wins this year, the speedy guard is tallying 6.9 ppg and 5.5 apg, while shooting 56 percent (31-for-55) from the field and 75 percent (6-for-8) from long distance. However, in the Ramblers' nine losses, he has put up 5.1 ppg, 3.7 apg, and shot 26 percent (15-for-58) from the field, while misfiring on 16 of his 19 trey attempts. Loyola is 7-3 this season when he hands out five or more assists and the 6-foot-1 Stanley dished out 12 assists, against only one turnover, in the home opener versus Canisius. In five games against Ohio foes this season, Stanley is registering 9.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 4.2 apg and went for a career-best 18 points and handed out nine assists against Youngstown State Feb. 4. He has hit 3 of his last 7 (.429) shots from long range after making only 1 of his previous 11 (.091) and has buried 7 of his last 10 (.700) tries from the foul line after draining just 4 of his previous 13 (.308). Stanley's 104 total assists matches that of last year's leader, J.R. Blount, and he is on pace to produce the highest number and average of assists since David Bailey (158 and 5.3 apg) in 2002-03. Not known as a deep threat, Stanley has rung up a three-pointer in three straight contests and has 25 assists and 10 turnovers in the last four games.
T-TIME
Junior college transfer Terrance Hill has made an immediate impact at both ends of the floor and but has managed only 4.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 3.0 apg in the last two games. In the previous three outings, Hill notched 16.0 pg, 6.7 rpg and 2.0 apg. The Kansas City, Mo., native, who has started all 22 games this year, is looking to become the first newcomer to lead Loyola in scoring for a season since Derek Molis posted 14.9 ppg in 1995-96. Hill has scored in double figures in 14 of the first 22 games and is contributing 11.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.5 apg and shooting 47 percent (8-for-17) from triple territory in the last four home games. Through the first three contests, the junior guard averaged a respectable 7.3 ppg, but over the last 19 contests has bumped his production to 12.3 ppg. Loyola is 7-1 when he scores fewer than 10 points and he has scored in double figures in six of the team's 11 home games this season. After struggling through a 4-for-22 (.182) stretch from beyond the arc, Hill has hit 9 of his last 20 (.450) tries from long distance. Hill is also looking to regain his touch at the foul line, where he has converted only 15 of his last 25 (.600) tries after burying 29 of his first 33 (.879). He was held to a season-low two points and played only four minutes against Youngstown State Feb. 4.
THE GREAT WALT
Walt Gibler has been a consistent weapon off the bench and has provided toughness in the post for Loyola this season to the tune of 11.1 ppg. The Cincinnati, Ohio native is tallying 13.7 ppg and 7.0 rpg, while shooting 54 percent (14-for-26) in the last three outings at home. When the 6-foot-7 sophomore forward scores in double figures, Loyola is 11-6 in his career. Gibler has scored in double figures in 14 of the last 21 games, and is looking to become the first Rambler since Leon Young in 2005-06 (10.4 ppg) to average double figures in scoring while playing more than 50 percent of his games as a substitute. Gibler, who has drained 60 of his last 74 (.811) tries from the charity stripe and 29 of his last 51 (.569) from the field, has also hit 3 of his last 5 (.600) attempts from three-point range after missing 12 of his previous 13 tries (.077). Loyola is 7-2 this season when Gibler scores 14 or more points and in the last six contests, he is tallying 9.3 ppg after putting up 13.3 ppg in the previous eight outings. Gibler who is posting 11.0 ppg and 5.4 rpg versus Ohio foes this season, is averaging 11.4 ppg when coming off the bench.
G-MAC ATTACK
If one Rambler's play has been paramount to the team's success this season, junior Geoff McCammon would be that individual. The junior has blossomed into one of the Ramblers' top scoring threats with 10.2 ppg and has scored in double digits in 11 contests, four times eclipsing the 20-point plateau. Loyola is 10-2 in his career when he scores in double figures and in the team's 13 wins this year is accounting for a team-best 14.1 ppg, while shooting 52 percent (66-for-126), compared to 4.6 ppg and 32 percent (14-for-44) in the Ramblers' nine losses. The 6-foot-4 guard, who is one of only two Illinois natives on the roster, tabulated 25 points and matched a career high with five boards versus Youngstown State Feb. 4. Loyola is 8-2 this season when McCammon, who has connected on 15 of his last 17 (.882) tries from the foul line, hits two or more three-pointers and 5-0 when he leads the club in scoring. McCammon is sinking 54 percent (22-for-41) of his three-point attempts in League action and he has converted his last 11 attempts from the foul line at home. His 10.2 ppg average this season has come in just 20.8 minutes per game. McCammon, who his averaging 17.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg in the last two home games, is shooting a white-hot 62 percent (16-for-26) from three-point land in the last half dozen outings.
LISTEN UP ALL YOU POLKAMANIACS
Andy Polka has displayed no ill effects from the season-ending ankle injury he suffered last year. The forward has ripped down a team-best 9.0 rpg, which leads the Horizon League through games of Feb. 4, and in a Dec. 12 win over San Francisco recorded the seventh double-double of his career and third this season by scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 boards. The senior, who received an extra year of eligibility from the NCAA due to medical hardship, is averaging 3.3 apg, which ranks 10th in the Horizon League. Polka is the only player to rank among the top 10 in the League in both rebounds and assists. One of the top passing big men in the League, Polka is notching 8.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.3 apg and shooting 50 percent (12-for-24) from the field in the last three outings after going for 3.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.3 apg and hitting 14 percent (2-for-14) of his shots in the previous three games. The Ramblers are 3-1 overall this year when he scores in double figures and in his last five appearances in the month of February, is contributing 9.0 ppg, 8.2 rpg and 2.4 apg. At the Gentile Center this season, Polka is chipping in 7.7 ppg, 9.5 rpg and 3.5 apg.
RAMBLERS MAKE THE GRADE
Loyola is one of only 24 men's basketball programs to have received a NCAA Public Recognition Award in each of the past two years. The NCAA issues a Public Recognition Award to programs that have multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores in the top 10 percent of all men's basketball teams in the country. Also in this exclusive club over the last two seasons are tradition-rich schools such as Dayton, Duke, Holy Cross, Illinois, Kansas, North Carolina, Princeton and Villanova to name a few.
NOT WITHOUT A HITCH
Head athletic trainer Dr. Tom Hitcho has worked 948 consecutive Loyola men's basketball contests heading into Saturday's game against Cleveland State. Since joining the staff for the 1977-78 campaign, "Hitch," as he is affectionately known to those on campus, has not missed a single game and has witnessed 444 Rambler victories. In his 33rd year at Loyola, Hitcho was inducted into the Loyola Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.
CARDIAC RAMBLERS
Not only has Loyola won seven games by five points or less this season, but it has also picked up a pair of those wins in thrilling fashion by hitting three-pointers as time expired. On Nov. 20 at Holy Cross, senior guard Aric Van Weelden hit the first buzzer-beater of his career to cap a remarkable Rambler comeback in the final 1:05. Van Weelden's three-pointer at the final horn punctuated an 11-0 Loyola run in the final 65 seconds as the team picked up a 76-73 victory. On Dec. 16, sophomore guard Courtney Stanley hit one of the most dramatic shots in recent Loyola history as he tossed in a shot from halfcourt, while falling out of bounds, to propel the Ramblers to a 68-65 victory for their first win at Bradley since 1984. Stanley's stunner was part of an incredible second-half comeback that saw Loyola erase a 12-point deficit in that period.
BENCH BOOST
In 22 games this season, Loyola's bench has outscored that of its opponents by a whopping 533-345 margin. At least one player has scored in double digits off the bench in 16 of Loyola's first 22 contests and in fact, nine times this year the team's leading scorer has not been a member of the starting lineup. Jim Whitesell's bench has provided a major lift in the last eight games, as it has outscored that of its counterparts by a 174-99 margin.
NO REST FOR THE WEARY
Playing without starting guard Terrance Hill for all but four minutes, Loyola was forced to stick to an eight-player rotation in Thursday's game against Youngstown State. Geoff McCammon played all 45 minutes in that game, while backcourt mate Courtney Stanley sat out only one minute of action and fellow guard Marcus Thomas played a career-high 41 minutes.
EIGHT TO ENTER LOYOLA HALL OF FAME FEB. 6
Eight of the greatest student-athletes ever to wear the Maroon and Gold will be inducted into the Loyola Athletics Hall of Fame Saturday, Feb. 6. Joining the ranks of Loyola immortals will be Ellen Antonacci Bartletti (softball), Sherry Metz Ott (women's basketball), Tony Parker (men's basketball), Missy Sartorelli Grevengoed (women's volleyball) and the track relay team of Kevin Bikus-Larry Krause-John McCabe-Joe Smyka. The Hall of Fame Class of 2010 will be recognized at halftime of that day's game versus Cleveland State.
RANDOM RAMBLER NOTES
Loyola posted 10 wins before Jan. 1 for the first time since the 1962-63 season...Loyola's seven-game winning streak in December was its longest since claiming seven consecutive contests, Jan. 29 - Feb. 22, 2007...the Ramblers' 45 first-half points against Youngstown State Feb. 4 were their most in the opening 20 minutes since filling it up for 46 points in the first half versus Canisius Nov. 17...Loyola is 4-0 this season versus teams from the state of Illinois.
FEBRUARY FINISHES
Under Whitesell, Loyola has rolled up a 23-15 (.605) all-time record in games played in the month of February. From 2005-07, the Ramblers were nearly unstoppable in February, winning 77 percent (17-5) of their games, but over the last two-plus seasons, have gone just 6-10 (.375).
OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF LEAGUE
En route to a 9-1 record against non-Horizon League foes this season, Loyola averaged 70.4 ppg, posted a + 9.4 rebounding margin, dished out 155 assists to 139 turnovers, and shot 71 percent (150-for-212) from the foul line. However, in League action, where the Ramblers have gone 4-8, they have seen those numbers dip to 60.8 ppg, a - 1.6 rebounding margin, 145 assists to 173 miscues, and a 64 percent (135-for-211) accuracy rate from the charity stripe.
SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED
In November, Flavien Davis signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Loyola next fall. An athletic, 6-foot-5 wing player from Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, Wis., Davis has had a decorated prep career and last season led his squad to the Wisconsin Division 2 state championship by averaging 16.9 ppg and 8.4 rpg for a team that finished with a 24-2 overall record. Davis is a three-time First Team All-Wisconsin Little Ten Conference honoree and last season was tabbed second team all-state by both the Associated Press and Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association.
LOYOLA DRAWS CREIGHTON IN BRACKETBUSTERS
For the fourth time in seven seasons, Loyola will face an opponent from the Missouri Valley Conference in games selected from the ESPN BracketBusters pool of teams. On Feb. 20, the Ramblers will travel to Jesuit rival Creighton for their first meeting with the Bluejays since Dec. 12, 1981. Loyola is 4-2 in six previous BracketBusters contests.
ASSESSING THE SCORING AVERAGES
Should leading scorer Terrance Hill maintain his current pace of 11.6 ppg, he would post the lowest average by a Loyola team leader in that category since Vernell Brent tossed in a team-high 10.9 ppg in 1993-94. In fact, Brent's average is the lowest by a Rambler leading scorer in the Post-World War II Era.
UP NEXT
Loyola wraps up a busy weekend of play when it travels to No. 23 Butler Monday night (Feb. 8). The Ramblers have won two of the last three meetings with the Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
