Quarter 1

The Cubs take the opening tip and immediately get into their half-court offense, winning two free throws for Keefe. Keefe converts one of two before the Cubs stop King Drew on defense. They turn the ball over on a miscommunication between Neil and Keefe but a block on the other end keeps them in front. A couple of forced passes and shots mean that the Cubs turn the ball over again, something that could become a pattern. King Drew finally get their first points off a layup from the post. The Cubs continue to force things on offense and can’t get into their half-court sets. The first possession the Cubs actually go to their offense, Colby knocks down a three for the tie. Quick transition play forces a King Drew foul and CJ Jones free throws. CJ knocks down both shots and gives the Cubs the lead. The Cubs move into a man defense off the inbound but quickly transition back to the two-three zone. The zone defense proves to be effective as the Golden Eagles turn the ball over after struggling to penetrate the defense. A missed offensive shot sees the team again opt for the man and force a turnover. However, the team is having trouble taking care of possession as they again give the ball right back to the opposition. A textbook pick and roll allows the Cubs to finally get a clean look at the rim to convert. King Drew seems to be starting to figure out the zone defense as they begin slice up the defense methodically and win a five-point lead. Just as they do so, the Cubs go into a man defense and steal the ball, allowing them to earn free throws.

Score 10-13

Quarter 2

The Cubs use the opening possession to run a play beautifully but an athletic play from the opposition cancels the shot attempt. King Drew seems confused by the switch to man defense, allowing the Cubs to get a few key stops. The Cubs then move into a press after going on a small 4-0 run. The momentum is cut by an and one bucket from King Drew but Jerryd Cox responds with ease. The new lineup is shutting down the opposition with stout man defense and quick buckets on offense are beginning to tip the scales in the balance of the Cubs. The starters get back into the game for the Cubs, but the momentum the team began to build is almost lost. The team makes sure that isn’t the case with a quick steal and layup. The starters are also utilizing a full-court man press into a half-court man defense. The move is definitely giving King Drew fits as they fail to score for several minutes, allowing the Cubs to put themselves into the leading position. The Cubs offense clearly goes as their defense does as they took the lead once they were able to force turnovers from their half-court defending.

Score 28-23

Quarter 3

The Cubs start out on defense this half, continuing their man defense and immediately forcing a turnover. The half-court plays are proving fruitful for the Cubs as they again win themselves free throws off a set. The Cubs commit a pair of fouls but maintain control as King Drew can’t seem to figure out the man defense, turning the ball over once more. The Cubs extend their lead to eight. A King Drew timeout signals a switch to a two-two-one press for the Cubs. The new look means that the Cubs to a two-three zone in the half court. The Golden Eagles clearly have more success against the zone but fail to knock down some open looks they receive. The Cub offense is humming, though, and the team is feasting on second-chance opportunities that they repeatedly receive from the Golden Eagle defense. The Cubs tear apart the press the Golden Eagles throw at them, culminating in a corner bucket from CJ Jones. The Cubs have extended their lead to fifteen. The Cubs retain their two-two-one press but aren’t finding the same kind of success they had earlier. The Golden Eagles decision to press has proved fatal, however, as the Cubs convert on nearly every opportunity earned out of the press. CJ Jones hits consecutive threes and gets his total to fifteen in the game. The Cub press begins to yield some results again, complemented by the two-three zone forcing turnovers, too. The Cubs hit a few big shots and, all of the sudden, the Loyola lead is twenty.

Score 55-35

Quarter 4

The Cubs decide to stay in the two-two-one press that has brought them so much tonight and garner the same results. The Cubs opt for a smaller lineup in the final quarter, subbing in two underclassmen and one junior. The new lineup has clear struggles rebounding because of the lack of size, but the Golden Eagles have serious trouble converting inside opportunities. The Cubs trade mistakes with the opposition for several minutes and maintains an eighteen point advantage for nearly five minutes. A number of mistakes sees the Cubs have the lead cut to fourteen. The Cubs are starting to make needless turnovers and allow King Drew to gain some momentum with countless offensive rebounds, prompting the return of the starters into the game with three minutes remaining. The starting easily shreds the press but turn ball over in the halfcourt and again on their own inbound to allow the Golden Eagles to believe in a comeback. The task seems tall, however, as only a minute remains for King Drew to score fourteen. The Cubs run the shot clock all the way down before Neil Owens draws a foul and knocks down a free throw. King Drew draws a foul but it’s much too little much too late as the Cubs run out the clock victorious.

Score 65-50