Bryce Greene at Loyola 11/2/17
Wyatt Eaton
57
Elizabethtown ETOWN
83
Winner Loyola Maryland LOYOLA
Elizabethtown ETOWN
57
Final
83
Loyola Maryland LOYOLA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Elizabethtown ETOWN 29 28 57
Loyola Maryland LOYOLA 44 39 83

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Blue Jays hang tough in exhibition at Loyola Maryland

BALTIMORE -- Elizabethtown's first exposure to Division I hoops since 1991 couldn't be characterized as less than a success. The Blue Jays battled for 40 minutes and answered numerous runs from Patriot League host Loyola Maryland in an 83-57 exhibition defeat Thursday night at Reitz Arena.
 
There was plenty to be encouraged about for first-year head coach Britt Moore. The Blue Jays shot 40.7% from the floor and connected at a 21.7% clip from 3-point range.
 
More important was E-town's compete level, which never wavered against a Loyola side with size and speed that returned its leading scorer and rebounder in seniors Andre Walker and Cam Gregory from last year's Patriot League and College Basketball Invitational (CBI) quarterfinalist team. The Jays started three sophomores and a pair of juniors.
 
The Blue Jays fell behind 14-5 less than five minutes into the game, but Bryce Greene scored five of his team-high 17 points, while Brandon Berry, Matt Thomas and Michael Pastore each scored two to send Elizabethtown on an 11-2 run that tied the game at 16 with 12:11 to play in the first half.
 
Josh Christ provided a lift off the bench with eight points, three rebounds, two assists and a block and Elizabethtown kept the pressure on the Hounds. The Jays trailed by single digits with under 6:30 left before halftime and went to the break trailing 44-29 despite being outrebounded by 13 and whistled for 15 fouls.
 
Greene went back to work right out of the locker room, scoring two on E-town's opening possession of the second half. Ethan DuBois followed with a quick triple and suddenly Loyola's lead was back to 10, 44-34.
 
Five straight points from Chuck Champion capped a 12-2 Loyola run and extended its lead to 64-41 with 10:38 to go, but Elizabethtown wouldn't submit.
 
Greene netted six more points as the Blue Jays countered with a 12-2 run of their own to cut the Hounds' advantage back to 13, 66-53, at the under eight media stoppage.
 
Loyola would eventually pull away, ending the game on a 17-4 run and using its physical advantages to outscore the Blue and Gray 28-12 in the paint and 18-2 off turnovers in the second half.
 
Greene made 7 of 11 field goals and DuBois was 3 of 5 from long distance on his way to 11 points. Connor Moffatt pulled down 10 rebounds to go along with four points and three assists.
 
Christ did all his damage for E-town in the first half. Pastore had five points, while Thomas, Berry and Justin Sutton all finished with four.
 
Walker, a 2017 All-Patriot League First Team selection, led Loyola with a game-high 19 points. He got support from Champion (13), Andrew Kostecka (12) and James Fives (10) who gave the Greyhounds four players in double figures.
 
Gregory cleaned up on the glass with 18 rebounds --eight at the offensive end-- and added seven points as the Greyhounds ended the night with a 49-31 rebounding advantage.
 
Loyola converted on 43.7% of its shots overall (31 of 71) and worked its way to the foul line 25 times, making 19. Elizabethtown held a slight edge in assists, 12-10, and matched the Hounds' three blocks.
 
Moore, who was hired in May to replace the retiring Bob Schlosser, made his Blue Jay coaching debut. He was optimistic and upbeat about his team's performance. Thursday night's exhibition was Elizabethtown's first matchup with a DI opponent in nearly 28 years, going back to an 82-45 regular season loss at Princeton on Jan. 28, 1991.
 
Elizabethtown will get back in the gym as it prepares for its regular season opener on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at Stevenson.
 
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