Youngstown State 62, Loyola-Chicago 60
Sophomore DJ Cole banked in the winning basket with 2.7 seconds left and Youngstown State got past Loyola-Chicago 62-60 in a first-round game in the Horizon League Tournament on Tuesday night in Youngstown, Ohio.
Loyola freshman Devon Turk sank two free throws with 12.7 seconds left to set up the final play. Cole brought the ball upcourt and worked against Loyola's Kiki White at the top of the key before driving down the left side of the lane for the deciding basket.
The win sends the sixth-seeded Penguins (17-14) to a Friday night matchup against third-seeded Wright State. The second-round game will be played at Valparaiso, which as the regular-season champion is host for the conference tourney.
The Ramblers finished their season with a 15-16 record.
It was the third time this season the two teams ended up in a one-possession game and Youngstown State won all three -- by two points at Loyola and by one at home in the regular season.
The Penguins had four players score in double figures. Kamren Belin and Blake Allen had 15 points each, and Cole ended up with 13, including 11 in the second half.
Loyola's Christian Thomas led all scorers with 16 points and Ben Averkamp, playing in his second game since recovering from a concussion, had 14.
