The men’s basketball team went on the road to defeat Delaware State on Wednesday night by the score of 84-76. The victory brought the Hounds above .500 to 5-4 on the season, while the Hornets fell to 1-9.

Four Greyhounds hit double figures in scoring, led by Andrew Kostecka ’20 with 25 points to go with seven rebounds. KaVaughn Scott ’20 followed with 14 points, while Kenneth Jones ’22 and Cam Spencer ’23 each scored 13. Spencer also added five assists, as he currently leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Other notable performers included point guard Isaiah Hart ’21 with eight points, Jaylin Andrews ’22 with six points, and Golden Dike ’23 with eight rebounds, five of which came on the offensive glass.

Loyola got off to a strong start to open the game, taking a 14-6 lead off of a Jones three-pointer with 13:34 to go in the half. This marked the start of a long scoring drought, which lasted for over five minutes, allowing Delaware State to come back and trim the lead to 14-12. 

The Hounds settled down to end the half, rebuilding their lead back to eight points with 1:39 to go. They committed several bad fouls though, allowing the Hornets to get back into the game from the free-throw line. The first half ended with Loyola holding a narrow 31-27 lead.

The two teams traded baskets in the opening minutes of the second half until Delaware State tied the game at 39 with 16:27 left in the game. The lead changed hands several times before the home team managed to gain a 52-46 advantage with 12 minutes to go. 

Jones stepped up and hit two three-pointers on consecutive Loyola possessions to tie the game at 52. As the clock ticked down to the final minutes, the Hounds managed to pull away off of some clutch shooting. Scott scored six of his 14 points in the last four minutes, while Kostecka, Spencer, Jones, and Andrews all hit key free throws to preserve the Loyola lead. 

These free throws pushed the Loyola lead to double digits in the final minute, and the road team held on for the 84-76 win. 

Loyola stays on the road as they travel to Mount St. Mary’s this Saturday, Dec. 7. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Featured Image Courtesy of Loyola Athletics.