TOLEDO EDGED ON LAST SECOND SHOT

The are any number of ways to lose a basketball game. Then there is the way that Toledo did it Saturday afternoon.

The score was tied at 55 against Loyola-Chicago and the Rockets were inbounding the ball underneath the Loyola basket with 1.7 seconds remaining in the game. Coach Tod Kowalczyk had given the team last second instructions and Toledo's Matt Smith was prepared to launch the inbound pass. When the official signaled for play to begin, Smith's high-arch pass reached all way to the bottom of the scoreboard. The ball careened out-of-bounds without a player ever touching it and Loyola was given possession. The Ramblers would be inbounding exactly where Smith had been standing.

After briefly talking the matter over, Loyola's Denzel Brito passed the ball to teammate Ben Averkamp who calmly scored on a short jumper to give the visitors a 57-55 victory. The ending certainly was bizarre but, truth be known, Toledo probably gave this game away much earlier in the half.

Cruising along with a 14-point, 42-28, lead three minutes into the final period, the Rockets suddenly lost their scoring touch, misfiring on six shots over the span of the next five minutes, allowing Loyola to cut the margin to 42-37

For the next six minutes Toledo managed to hold onto a slim lead, but points were few and far between for the Midnight Blue and Gold. Meanwhile, Averkamp, the 6-8 junior forward who scored the winning points, was having his way with the Toledo defense, and his scoring prowess was allowing the visitors to stay within striking distance.

Loyola's Christian Thomas was fouled making a layup, and his traditional three pointer gave the Ramblers their first lead since the first half, 54-53, with 58 seconds to play. Loyola converted another free throw before Toledo's “Juice” Brown stepped up to the charity stripe to knot the score at 55 with just 36 seconds remaining.

The visitors were holding the ball for a last shot when Averkamp attempted a jumper that was partially blocked by Toledo's Reese Holliday. The loose ball went out-of-bounds off of a Loyola player, and this set the scene for the strange heart-breaking ending.

After trailing for a good share of the first half, the Rockets went on a three-point shooting frenzy that vaulted them into a lead that would last until that fatal, final minute of the game. First Rian Pearson connected to bring UT within three points at 17-14. Smith's rainbow tied the score, then Dominique Buckley put Toledo ahead, 20-17. Next it was Brown's turn before Pearson hit the fifth and final trey of the 15-point run to give the Rockets a 26-17 advantage.

Buckley closed out the first-half scoring with a three-pointer as the clock ran out giving UT a 33-25 cushion at the break.

There is an expression often used in basketball which is “live by the three, die by the three” and that might be applicable for this game. Toledo was 6-of-12 dialing long distance in the first half, but slipped to 1-of-8 in the final 20 minutes. For much of the second-half, the Rockets were settling for jump shots when they might have been better served taking the ball to the basket.

Averkamp had a career high 31 points as he shot over, or drove through the Toledo defenders to impose his will. The muscular junior also had seven rebounds. Thomas aided the Loyola cause with nine points and a game high 13 rebounds.

Pearson (photo right) and Brown provided the major offensive spark for Toledo with 20 and 13 points.

The visitors were also strong on the glass, outrebounding Toledo: 36-27. UT grabbed just three offensive rebounds for the game, recording just one offensive board in the second half. Loyola had 11 offensive rebounds over the course of the contest and scored 11 second-chance points to just three for the Rockets.

Loyola improved to 2-7 on the season with Saturday's win

The announced crowd for the game, the second half of a double header, was given as 4,279.

Toledo (6-3) now gets a seven-day break before taking on Youngstown State on December 17 at Savage Arena.