CHICAGO – Des Watson hit a clutch corner three with just over half a minute to play Saturday afternoon, helping put Loyola Chicago ahead of South Florida by one. Jalen Quinn put away two free throws with five seconds on the clock, and the Ramblers escaped with a 74-72 win over the Bulls.
 
Loyola remains undefeated at 8-0 and is the best start to a season since 1962-63.
 
"When your leading scorer goes out in the first few minutes, you're kind of shocked, but this is what we've talked about all year. Find a way to win. It's going to be different guys on different nights," said head coach Drew Valentine. "South Florida has some talented guys, so this win may not have looked how we wanted it to, but it's going to age pretty well. I am proud of our team for finding a way to win a game yet again."
 
How It Happened
It was a battle inside Gentile Arena Saturday afternoon with eight lead changes, 12 ties, and neither team seeing a lead larger than eight. Kymany Houinsou put the pressure on early with a steal on USF's first possession that led to a Miles Rubin fast break finish in the lane for the first points. The Ramblers and Bulls traded baskets until De'Ante Green was able to help USF pull ahead by six with just over 14 to play. Kasen Jennings would give the Bulls their largest lead of the game with a three off a Rambler turnover with 10:50 on the clock, 20-12.
 
Loyola responded with nine unanswered points over the next three minutes. Rubin sparked it with a dunk and hustled back for a block leading to a transition alley-oop for Houinsou. Watson buried one from three for a 21-20 Rambler lead. Over the final 2:50 of action, the Ramblers scored eight of the 11 points, trimming USF's lead to three at the half. Sheldon Edwards Jr. and Francis Nwaokorie hit threes to keep the Ramblers in the game. The Bulls were up at halftime, 38-35.
 
Edwards Jr. stayed hot out of the break, tying it 38-all with another three-pointer for Loyola, but the Ramblers wouldn't see a lead in the second half until a 7-0 stretch from 12:58 to 11:23. Quinn had six straight points, helping Loyola pull ahead, 54-50. Quincy Ademokoya built USF's lead back to five with a three just under the 10-minute mark.
 
The game would see two more lead changes by 6:57, and USF remained in control until Watson and Moore put four away at the line to tie it 69-69 with 1:10 to play. Despite a night of cold shooting, Watson stepped up and hit a dagger three with 31 second on the clock, giving Loyola a one-point lead. Quinn pushed the lead to three with a pair at the line and five seconds to play. A missed free throw and offensive board fell short for the Bulls in the final seconds, and Ramblers won, 74-72.
 
Inside the Box Score
- Watson scored a team-leading 14 points (3-15 FG, 2-8 3PT, 6-8 FT).
- Houinsou and Quinn scored 12 points each. Houinsou added seven rebounds, five assists, and a steal.
- Edwards Jr. also reached double-figures with 11 points (4-9 FG, 3-7 3PT).
- Rubin had a solid outing with seven points, five rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.
- The Ramblers assisted 16 times. Houinsou led with five, while Justin Moore added four.
- Nwaokorie tied Houinsou with a team-high seven boards.
- Loyola only committed seven turnovers for a season-low, while forcing 16 by USF. The Ramblers turned those into 17 points.
- The Rambler bench continues to make an impact. They outscored the Bulls, 33-9.
 
Up Next
Loyola and San Francisco meet in Milwaukee Dec. 15. Game time has been pushed back to a 5:30 p.m. start at Fiserv Forum.