Loyola, Md. 67, UC Davis 64

2/23/2008 3:02 PM

By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) -Gerald Brown scored 16 points, and Loyola of Maryland came up strong at the finish to hand UC Davis its 10th straight loss, 67-64 on Saturday.

Loyola (17-12) used a 9-2 run during the final three minutes to repel a last-place UC Davis team that traveled across the country for this BracketBuster game. Marquis Sullivan scored 14 and Michael Tuck had 13 for the Greyhounds, who are tied for first place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Mark Payne scored 17 for the injury-riddled Aggies (8-19), who dressed only eight players. Their bench became further depleted when reserve Kyle Brucculeri left in the first half with a sprained ankle, although he returned after halftime with his ankle heavily taped and finished with 12 points.

Vince Oliver added 11 for UC Davis, which missed its last 12 shots from 3-point range after opening 4-for-4. The Aggies, of the Big West Conference, are 1-12 on the road one defeat away from a third consecutive season with at least 20 losses.

Down 58-54, UC Davis used a jumper in the lane by Payne and four straight free throws to move in front with 3:37 left. But the Aggies then went cold, and Loyola took over.

A jumper by Brown tied it at 60, and Sullivan added a 3-pointer to make it 63-60 with 1:55 to go. Brett Harvey made four free throws in the final 18 seconds to seal the win.

The Aggies' 38-37 halftime lead was their first advantage at intermission in 10 games since Jan. 17.

UC Davis made 11 of its first 14 field goal tries, including all four from beyond the arc, to go up 28-19. All eight players saw action for the Aggies in the opening 13 minutes, and seven of them contributed at least one basket.

After Brucculeri left, Sullivan made three 3-pointers in a 14-4 run that put the Greyhounds ahead 33-32.