NCAA News Wire
Loyola-Chicago 83, Abilene Christian 44
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Forward Montel James and guard Devon Turk each scored 13 points, and Loyola-Chicago blew past Abilene Christian in the second half for a 83-44 victory Wednesday in a Continental Tires Las Vegas Classic game at Gentile Arena in Chicago.
Guard Earl Peterson added 11 points as Loyola (7-2) won its third straight and fifth in six games.
Forward Austin Cooke had 14 points for Abilene Christian (4-5), while guard Harrison Hawkins added 11.
The Wildcats led 19-16 nearly midway through the opening half, but the Ramblers launched an 11-0 run that included a pair of 3-pointers from guard Milton Doyle to claim a 27-19 advantage.
Abilene Christian closed within 30-27 but managed just two free throws the rest of the half as Loyola rolled to a 38-29 lead at the break.
The Ramblers pushed the lead past 20 points at 59-37 on a Peterson jumper with 10:21 left, and the margin topped 30 when guard Donte Ingram’s layup made it 70-49 with 5:18 to play.
With less than two minutes left, forward Cal Kennedy’s layup briefly pushed the margin to 40.
Wednesday’s game — the first ever between the teams — was also the start of four in seven days for the Ramblers.
Loyola hosts Southern Utah on Friday as part of the event before heading to Las Vegas to play Texas Tech and then either Boise State or Houston.
Abilene Christian travels to Boise State on Saturday for its next tournament game.
