Xavier maintained its current hold of 1st place and nine-game win streak in the GCAC by defeating Loyola 78-62. The Gold Rush had four players in double figures. Mark Stewart’ 20 point effort paced the Gold Rush along with a 36-23 rebound advantage. Loyola’ inside game was hampered with the loss of finance senior Mario Faranda for the season during a loss against Dillard earlier in the week, and political science junior David Curtin was out with an injury as well.

Relying on the perimeter game, psychology junior Luke Zumo was the leading scorer for Loyola with 23 points, and accounting senior James Bunn added 15. Xavier started the game off up 15-5 with 12 minutes to go in the first half and a 14-6 run to open the second half expanded the lead to 20. Xavier managed to shoot 80% from the free-throw line and 64% three-point shooting. Loyola was held to 38% shooting. “Things were going well until the last 6 minutes of the first half. Give credit to Xavier, they shot the ball extremely well tonight. We have to play smarter and get some stops, and find an inside presence. I am happy that we cut into the lead late in the game,” Giorlando said.

Loyola university inducted five new members into the Hall of Fame at halftime: volleyball player Jennifer Leier, B ’99; basketball player Scott Thompson, A ’96; track stars Fred Westenberger, B ’57, L ’57, and Harold Chauvin; and football star Ewell “Bill” Smith, P ’25.

Read in-depth features on them and of this year’s St. Sebastian award winner, Russell Cresson, B ’49, in the Feb. 2 print edition of The Maroon and in the upcoming Feb. 16 issue. Loyola returns to The Den for their final home game against rival Spring Hill College on February 22. Bunn will be recognized for his last game in a Loyola uniform for an outstanding career in which he scored over 1,000 points in his tenure on the basketball. Harold R. Kuntz III can be reached at [email protected].