Second Round: Loyola of Chicago 64, Detroit 55

March 3, 2006

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Brandon Woods scored 16 points and J.R. Blount 15, and they both fueled a decisive second half run as Loyola defeated Detroit 64-55 in a Horizon League Tournament quarterfinal game Friday night.

Fourth-seeded Loyola (19-10) won its fifth game in a row to gain some revenge on No. 5 seed Detroit (16-16), which had defeated the Ramblers in the quarterfinals the last two seasons. Blake Schilb added 12 points for Loyola.

Detroit was led by Brandon Cotton with 20 points and Ben Green with 16.

Loyola advances to a semifinal Saturday night against top-seeded Wisconsin-Milwaukee (19-8), which won the conference regular season title for the third straight season.

In an earlier quarterfinal, 3rd-seeded Wisconsin-Green Bay defeated No. 6 seed Illinois-Chicago 76-66. Green Bay (15-15) will play No. 2 Butler (18-11) in the first semifinal.

Trailing by one point at the half, Woods made a basket and Schilb a 3-pointer to open the second period and put the Ramblers ahead for good at 27-23.

After the Titans had pulled within two points at 31-29 on a basket by Torvoris Baker with 16:11 left to play, the Ramblers reeled off 21 straight points to lead 52-29. Woods scored 10 points and Blount 8 in the scoring run that put the game away.

Detroit finally broke the deadly drought with a 3-pointer by Jon Goode with 7:59 left to make it 52-32.

Loyola's Majak Kou hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left in the first period to cut Loyola's lead at the half to 23-22.Cotton scored three straight baskets to break open a tight game and put the Titans on top for good in the first half at 21-17.