Feb. 7, 2011
Box Score
Justin Drummond scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half, including two huge late 3-pointers, and Loyola rallied from eight points down with 12 minutes to play to post a huge 76-69 MAAC win over Siena in Albany Monday. The Saints lost despite 23 points and 20 rebounds from Ryan Rossiter, who became the school's all-time leading rebounder 12 seconds into the second half.
Trailing 58-50 after a hook shot from Rossiter at the 12:12 mark, Loyola reeled off nine straight points to take the lead. Rossiter then scored seven of the game's next nine points to put the Saints up 65-61 with 5:16 to play, but Drummond hit consecutive 3-pointers, and Siena went scoreless for the next five minutes.
Drummond was one of five Greyhounds in double figures. Robert Olson and Erik Etherly tied for the team-high with 15 points, Shane Walker scored 13 and J'Hared Hall added 11.
Loyola shot 52% from the field, including 58% in the second half. The Greyhounds became just the third team to score 70 or more points against Siena in the last 15 games.
For Siena, it was a one man show, like it has been much of the season. Rossiter was dominant on his record setting night, and nearly did carry the Saints all the way on his back. The nation's second-leading rebounder entered the game 12 boards shy of Lee Matthews' school record, and he reached the mark by halftime.
Siena starting point guard Rakeem Brookins missed the entire second half with a rib injury sustained when he drew a charge late in the first half. Brookins had scored 11 points in the first half, made both his 3-pointers, and tallied three assists without a turnover, running the Siena offense flawlessly for 18 minutes. Jonathan Breeden replaced him in the second half, and had four quick assists to help Siena build its lead.
Rossiter too went to work, scoring 15 of his points after intermission to help Siena take command.
But with a shortened bench, the Saints tired down the stretch. Rossiter, OD Anosike, Clarence Jackson and Breeden played all 20 minutes in the second half, and Kyle Downey played the last 16:04 in place of starting wing Owen Wignot.
Jackson was playing just his second game after returning from a sprained ankle to play 24 minutes in Siena's win over Manhattan here Friday. He made just 2-12 shots, including 1-5 3-pointers, and appeared far less than 100 percent.
Anosike provided the only other real offense for Siena, finishing with 13 points in 37 minutes.
The loss, coupled with an Iona win over Manhattan, drops Siena into sixth place in the MAAC, and snaps the Saints' three-game win streak. Loyola, meanwhile, has won eight of its last 11 games to move into a fourth place tie with the Gaels. The Greyhounds also avoided being swept in the season series, which could prove critical down the stretch. Siena travels to New Rochelle to face Iona Friday night in another important game that will be nationally televised on ESPNU.
