TAMPA – Philip Alston led Loyola Chicago with a career-high 27 points Saturday afternoon at South Florida, but it came up short against the Bulls, 77-64. It marked the second straight 20-point performance for the senior forward.
 
With the loss, Loyola falls to 6-5 overall.
 
"I thought our guys battled in the first half and showed a lot of grit to regain the lead late and take it into halftime," said head coach Drew Valentine. "Our defensive discipline slipped in the second, and we didn't execute allowing the game get away from us. We've got to regroup these next two days and turn our attention to a Charleston Southern team that's hungry for a win."

How It Happened
Alston went 2-for-2 from the field to open Saturday's game for a quick 5-0 lead for Loyola. By the first media timeout, the Ramblers led 9-6 with help from Miles Rubin and Patrick Mwamba, who returned to the lineup.
 
Sam Hines Jr. gave the Bulls their first lead of the game with a jumper at the 13:31 mark, but it didn't last long with a 9-0 Loyola run on tap. Alston capped the stretch with two buckets on the fast break, including an allyoop feed from Des Watson.
 
With under seven to play, USF regained momentum and a four-point edge on a three from Chris Youngblood. The final four minutes of the first half saw three lead changes, and it was the Ramblers who'd come away with a 38-35 lead at the break.
 
The first seven points of the second went on the board for the Bulls. They held on until a deep three-pointer from Braden Norris at the 13:57 mark claimed a one-point lead for Loyola. A 6-0 run by USF prompted a timeout for the Ramblers as they faced a five-point deficit with just over 12 minutes to play.
 
With a step-back three, Selton Miguel gave USF their largest lead yet at eight with 9:53 on the clock. They extended it to double-figures under the seven-minute mark on a drive from Miguel. Back-to-back threes in a thirty-second stretch made it a 14-point edge. The Ramblers couldn't answer down the stretch, and USF came away with the win.
 
Inside the Box Score
- Alston recorded his fifth double-figure scoring effort and fourth straight.
- It marked the second straight 20-point performance for the senior forward and sixth of his career.
- Watson tallied a career-high in assists with four.
- Norris grabbed a team-high with six rebounds, and he matched his season-high seven assists.
- Rubin blocked four shots, just one shy of matching his career-high. Loyola tallied seven as a squad.
 
Up Next
Loyola heads back to Chicago for a midweek meeting on Tuesday. The Ramblers will tipoff with visiting Charleston Southern at 7 p.m.