Mario Faranda amassed a game-high 22 points and a team-high nine rebounds against the University of Mobile on Jan. 11.
Fellow starters Torry Beaulieu, James Bunn and Luke Zumo all added 10 points in front of boisterous ‘Pack backer stands just hours after the women’s team had upset the Mobile’s women, the No. 25 team in the country, in a double-overtime thriller.
So he was, in a sense, without words.
But only because, instead of reflecting fondly on what should have been a career night, outside The Den’s locker room he found himself trying to answer what it is that’s ailing a Wolfpack basketball team that’s winless (0-3) in the GCAC after a 74-57 blowout loss to Mobile.
“It’s not team chemistry. It’s not intensity or effort because we work our butts off. I guess there’s just some nights,” said the finance junior forward before he trailed off and shook his head in frustration. “I honestly don’t know how to answer that.”
Mobile out-rebounded Loyola 38-25, capitalizing on 11 second-chance baskets, some of those being third- and fourth-chance baskets. It stifled psychology junior guard Zumo’s bombs-away scoring and kept him away from the charity stripe, where he does his most damage – Zumo, Faranda’s perimeter sidekick, struggled his way through a three-for-14 shooting performance and got to the line just twice, converting both times.
“Somehow, we just haven’t gotten games together where Luke and I both score well,” Faranda said.
In Loyola’s three pre-conference games this season, both Faranda and Zumo have scored well. Zumo’s by-the-bucketful scoring paced Loyola’s efforts in the first two losses, but on a night when Faranda’s post-prowess blossomed, Mobile was able to clamp down on the team’s leading scorer.
While Mobile’s Walter Fitzgerald (19 points), Robert Jones (13 points) and Steve Pellan (13 points) were the only scorers in double figures, Trey Rubin added nine points, Derrell Moreaux chipped in seven and Marcus Yeager added eight. For coaches striving for balanced attacking and scoring, those numbers make their mouths water.
Coach Michael Giorlando received practically no help from the eight other players he rotated into the floor – the only bench option to score was general business freshman guard Sean Bennett (five points), while starting forward and business junior Carter “Bear” Wurts turned in a scoreless performance in 16 minutes of play.
“They took advantage of our cold spell, especially in the second half,” coach Giorlando said. “We could not hit a shot, and that had a lot to do with their defensive pressure. It was an unfortunate game.”
Though Mobile shot 64 percent from the free throw-line, a remarkably poor effort, Loyola shot just 72 percent in what should be friendly, comfortable confines.
“We practice free throws. We make them in practice. We just need to make them out here,” Faranda said about his team’s foul line troubles, refusing to let himself be consoled by his convincing post performance.
Loyola tipped-off the game in frenetic gear. Back-to-back three-pointers from Zumo and Bunn had them ahead 8-4 very early in the contest.
Later down 30-22, the Wolfpack strung together four scores and four defensive stops on four straight possessions to close the gap to 32-31.
In that stretch, Bunn recorded an emphatic rejection on a Mobile shooter, while Zumo bucketed a spin-around circus shot as he slashed to the Mobile basket and also hit a three-pointer.
Surrendering a three-pointer to close the half, they entered halftime down just 35-31.
But then Fitzgerald, Jones and company opened fire with both barrels on behalf of Mobile.
They outscored Loyola 19-8 in the early going of the second half, a deficit that was too steep for Loyola to even threaten.
UP NEXT: Jan. 13 at Xavier’s The Barn. Tip-off is for 3 p.m.
Ramon Vargas can be reached at [email protected].
