For the first 16 minutes of Loyola?s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament semifinal at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y., it appeared the Greyhounds were going to run away with an easy victory.
But Loyola let its lead slip away late and couldn?t get off a last-second shot as the Greyhounds saw their NCAA Tournament hopes come to a heartbreaking end with a 65-63 loss to regular season co-champion Siena.
The Saints took their first lead of the second half with 20 seconds left on a layup by forward Josh Duell to give his team a two-point lead and cap the scoring.
The Greyhounds, who led by as many as 17 points in the first half, had no answer.
Loyola junior guard Marquis Sullivan missed a three-pointer with 10 seconds left, guard Brian Rudolph had a layup blocked with 1.4 seconds remaining and a lob pass for senior forward Omari Isreal, who appeared to be fouled, was batted into the air as time expired.
Loyola (19-14, 13-7) used a 20-6 run to grow a 38-21 lead late in the first half and looked poised to play in its first conference title game since winning its only league crown in 1994. The Saints, however, forced five straight turnovers and cut the margin to just 38-28 at intermission.
Siena (21-10, 15-5) slowly chipped away at the Greyhounds advantage, but Sullivan, the MAAC Sixth Man of the Year, made a three-pointer with 7:40 remaining to push his team ahead, 59-52. Loyola, however, would score just one more field goal the rest of the game ? a layup by senior forward Michael Tuck with 3:43 left ? as Siena ended the game on a 13-4 run after Sullivan?sthree.
Sullivan led the Greyhounds with 14 points, but senior guard Gerald Brown, who averages 18.8 points per game, had just 13 on 5-of-15 shooting. Siena forward Alex Franklin had a game-high 22 points and All-MAAC guard Kenny Hasbrouck scored all 17 of his points in the second half.
The Greyhounds entered the game having beat the Saints twice this season, an 85-56 win in Baltimore on Jan. 24 and an 83-76 overtime win at the Times Union Center ? Siena?s home court ? on Feb. 16.
