Jan. 13, 2014

BALTIMORE - Dylon Cormier scored 18 of his game-high 25 points in the second half as Loyola erased Lafayette's two-point halftime lead to defeat the Leopards 77-63 on Monday night at Reitz Arena. Nick Lindner led Lafayette with 17 points and matched his career high with seven assists in the loss.

Loyola (8-8, 3-2) dominated the glass in the victory, pulling in 38 rebounds compared to Lafayette's 23. Cormier secured a game-high 11 boards, while Jordan Latham and R.J. Williams each had six to go along with 12 points apiece. Williams dished out 10 assists and Eric Laster added 14 points in the win.

For the Leopards (4-12, 0-5), Joey Ptasinski scored 15 on five three-pointers and Dan Trist netted nine. As a team, Lafayette shot 40.6 percent from the field (20-of-49), including a 9-for-20 effort from distance.

On the opposite side of the first media timeout, Laster's three-pointer put Loyola ahead 17-9. From there, Lindner's three helped Lafayette score eight of the next ten points to pull within a bucket at 19-17 following Trist's hook shot in the paint.

Trailing by three after Cormier's transition layup, Ptasinski drained consecutive threes to tie the score at 24 and then gave Lafayette its first lead (27-26) after Cormier hit a long two. A pair at the line by Trist and Zach Rufer's transition trifecta capped an 8-0 run for the Leopards that put them ahead 32-26 and forced Loyola to call timeout at 6:39. Rufer's trey was Lafayette's sixth of the first half as it hit its first six from beyond the arc to start the game.

After the stoppage, Loyola scored the next six to level the score at 32 apiece prior to Ptasinski draining his fourth long ball of the night. Lafayette went into halftime with a 37-35 lead and hit 7-of-8 from downtown in the period.

Loyola came out of halftime and scored seven of the first nine points, six by Cormier, prompting a Lafayette timeout four minutes into the half. After the timeout, Michael Hoffman drilled a three to pull the Leopards within two at 44-42.

The Greyhounds added to their lead midway through the second half by going to Cormier on three consecutive possessions. The preseason All-Patriot League choice scored six straight points, highlighted by a fadeaway jumper, as part of an 8-1 Loyola spurt that built an 11-point cushion (60-49).

Lindner's pullup on the break pulled the Leopards within nine (62-53) and Loyola called timeout with 6:47 to play, but the Greyhounds responded with the next six points to put the game away. Loyola limited the Leopards to 26 points on 29.2 percent shooting (7-of-24) in the second half.

Lafayette returns to the court on Saturday afternoon when it travels to Washington, D.C. for a matchup with American. Opening tip from Bender Arena is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Game Notes:

Lafayette used its eighth different starting lineup of the season.

Joey Ptasinski has scored in double figures in four straight games.

Nick Lindner reached double figures in scoring for the third game in a row.

Loyola scored 42 points in the paint, compared to Lafayette's 16.

Lafayette's 23 rebounds matched a season low (Yale).

Loyola's four three-pointers were the lowest total for a Lafayette opponent this season.