HONOLULU – Loyola Chicago fell in Monday's Diamond Head Classic match-up with Charleston, 77-68. Jalen Quinn scored a team and career-high 17 points, while Sheldon Edwards Jr. and Miles Rubin added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
 
With the loss, the Ramblers sit at 9-3 overall.
 
"We're going to focus on the next game," said head coach Drew Valentine. "We can't control what has already happened, but we can control what we do moving forward. Let's be better. Coaches will continue to grow. Players will be given opportunities. We just need to show up better."
 
How It Happened
The Cougars jumped ahead 4-0 in the opening minute and a half, but the Ramblers continued to challenge Charleston, tying the game twice before Des Watson hit a three at the 15:14 mark for a two-point lead. Jack Turner pushed the lead to five with his first career points with 11:30 to go.
 
Loyola's lead grew to double-digits with a 10-2 run. Sheldon Edwards Jr. sparked the stretch with a second-chance three followed by another tip-in by Jalen DeLoach. Miles Rubin and Jalen Quinn scored the final four points, and the Ramblers led, 31-21. The Cougars were not out of the mix, responding with an 11-1 run to tie the half at 33-all with 1:30 to play. Deywilk Tavarez pulled off a near half court buzzer beater to clinch a three-point edge for Charleston at the break, 37-34.
 
The Ramblers stepped up early, using a 9-3 run to regain a lead by the 15-minute mark. Quinn converted a three-point play for the 47-45 edge. The game saw five more lead changes over the next seven minutes before the Cougars took over. Quinn nabbed the ball and put up a quick buck for Loyola's last lead at 56-58 with 8:29 on the clock. Derrin Boyd erased his effort with a three on the next possession, and Charleston didn't look back.
 
Two minutes later, Boyd pushed the lead to seven with another three. He'd connect from deep again at the 3:19 mark for a 12-point edge over the Ramblers. Charleston's largest lead of the game came inside the final minute at 14, but Seifeldin Hendawy and Turner recorded late buckets to cut it to nine. Charleston won, 77-68.
 
Inside the Box Score
- Edwards Jr. is on a three-game double-figure scoring streak and has scored at least 11 points in four of the last five games. He has also hit at least one three in every game this season and at least two per game in the last five.
- Quinn has also scored 10 or more points in the last three games. He finished today's game 6-of-7 from the field and 5-of-6 at the line.
- Nwaokorie tied his career-high 14 rebounds. It was a game-high and helped the Ramblers out rebound the Cougars, 40-29.
- Several Ramblers finished with four or more boards – Edwards Jr. (5), Watson (5), Rubin (4), and DeLoach (4).
- Watson led Loyola with four assists.
 
Up Next
The Ramblers will play Murray State at 12:30 p.m. CT on Dec. 25 in their final game of the Diamond Head Classic.