PITTSBURGH — After succeeding as a Cinderella in their last two runs on the NCAA Tournament, Loyola Chicago discovered what it’s like when everyone knows your name.
The 10-seeded Ramblers fell to Ohio State, 54-41, in their first-round game Friday at PPG Paints Arena, bowing out of the tournament with their worst performance of the season.
Lucas Williamson, whose career began with the Final Four team in 2018, started out poorly and never recovered, while the No. 7 seeded Buckeyes shrugged off a slow first half to pour it on down the stretch.
E.J. Liddell led Ohio State with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Malaki Branham added 14 points.
Williamson finished with four points, shooting 1 for 10 from the field and 1 of 6 from the free-throw line, finishing a distinguished Loyola career on a down note.
Ohio State (20-11) goes on to play the winner of the Villanova-Delaware game Sunday for a spot in the Sweet 16 in San Antonio.
Loyola (25-8) shot a miserable 26.8% (15 for 56) from the field and hit only 3 of 10 free-throw attempts, mostly misfires from Williamson. The Ramblers couldn’t finish off shots inside against the bigger, more physical Buckeyes, and other than Braden Norris’s four 3-pointers never got into sync from outside. Norris led Loyola with 14 points, the only player in double-figures.
Coach Drew Valentine removed Williamson and the other starters with a minute left as Loyola fans gave them one last ovation.
The Ramblers couldn’t have started worse and were fortunate to go into the half trailing by only 23-18. Loyola shot 23.3% from the field and committed seven turnovers, while Williamson, their leading scorer, missed all five of his field-goal attempts and had only one point.
Loyola managed to stay close thanks to a sticky defense that limited Ohio State to 8-of-20 shooting. The Buckeyes went 0 for 9 from 3-point range in the half, while Liddell had only four points, all on free throws.
But the frustration continued for Loyola at the outset of the second as Williamson missed a pair of free throws and a layup in the opening minutes, and Liddell finally awoke, nailing a pair of jumpers. The Buckeyes led by 11 when Norris’ third 3-pointer briefly stopped the momentum.
Williamson finally hit his first basket in seven attempts, a 3-pointer, with 12 minutes, 46 seconds left, pulling the Ramblers within 11. But Loyola couldn’t manage to put together a late run, ending their season — and really an era of Ramblers basketball.
Loyola will move on to the Atlantic 10 Conference in July, as Valentine attempts to maintain the program’s success against some tougher competition.
