College Basketball Invitational Championship
Game 1:
8:00 PM EST-CBS College Sports
24-12 (14-6) Louisiana-Monroe
at 22-13 (8-10) Loyola (IL)
24-12 (14-6) Louisiana-Monroe
Solid Wins:
-UAB 74-65 (Road)
-Northwestern State 82-74 (Home)
-Lousiana-Lafayette 57-55 (Road)
-Georgia Southern 71-68 in Overtime (Road)
-Louisiana-Lafayette 67-55 (Home)
"Never Shoulda Happened" Losses:
-Samford 64-50 (Road)
-Texas-Arlington 61-57 (Home)
-Arkansas State 70-68 (Road)
-Appalachian State 66-43 (Road)
Tournament Run
-Eastern Michigan 71-67 in Sweet Sixteen (Home)
-Mercer 71-69 in Elite Eight (Road)
-Vermont 71-65 in Final Four (Home)
Key Contributors:
---#12 Tylor Ongwae (SR)
-14.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#13 Majok Deng (JR)
-10.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, & 1.4 BPG.
---#11 Nick Coppola (SO)
-9.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, & 3.8 APG.
---#32 Justin Roberson (JR)
-8.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#5 Jamaal Samuel (JR)
-6.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
---#4 Mack Foster (JR)
-4.9 PPG & 1.9 RPG.
22-13 (8-10) Loyola (IL)
Solid Wins:
-Kent State 69-61 (Road)
-Texas Tech 62-44 in the Semi-Finals of the Las Vegas Classic.
-Boise State 48-45 in the Championship of the Las Vegas Classic.
-Bradley 64-49 (Home)
-Evansville 71-70 (Road)
-Missouri State 53-50 without Milton Doyle and Christian Thomas (Road)
-Drake 80-75 in Overtime for Sixth Seed (Road)
-Indiana State 81-53 in Quarterfinal of Missouri Valley Conference Tournament (in St. Louis)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-#23 Northern Iowa 67-58 (Road)
-Southern Illinois 59-52 (Road)
-Southern Illinois 59-52 (Road)
-Evansville 65-56 (Home)
-Illinois State 48-45 (Home)
-Illinois State 67-60 (Road)
Tournament Run:
-Rider 62-59 in Sweet Sixteen (Home).
-Oral Roberts 86-78 in Elite Eight (Home).
-Seattle 63-48 in Final Four (Home).
Players to Watch:
---#35 Milton Doyle (SO)
-11.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 4.4 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#32 Christian Thomas (SR)
-11.2 PPG & 4.5 RPG.
---#24 Montel James (JR)
-9.3 PPG & 4.4 RPG.
---#2 Earl Peterson (JR)
-8.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG, & 2.0 APG.
---#4 Devon Turk (JR)
-8.3 PPG & 2.6 RPG.
---#0 Donte Ingram (FR)
-5.1 PPG & 3.3 RPG.
Prediction:
Three games for the right to be named the 2015 College Basketball Invitational Champions. The Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks have been going to war with opponent team's defenses since losing in their conference tournament semi-final and come into tonight averaging seventy-one points per game in their last three. "Star Senior" Tylor Ongawe has played terrific in this year's tourney and is averaging 25.0 points per game while being hotter than the Arizona desert from the field by shooting the 46.3% and 38.1% from beyond the arc. In addition to Ongawe's production, Majok Deng has dominated the paint by posting 16.7 points and 11.0 rebounds of late. Will the two dominate another defensively-sound team on the road? I think not! The Loyola Ramblers out of the Missouri Valley Conference are showing the nation how good they would have been if it was not for a foot injury that made star and "Stud Sophomore" Milton Doyle miss the majority of the conference season. The home-grown product from Chicago has done a little of everything so far in yhe CBI Tournament and enters the Joseph J. Gentile Center with tourney averages of 15.0 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. Although, Doyle's Robin to his Batman, Christian Thomas, has struggled scoring the basketball, 6'7" post player Montel James has been productive in addition to Devon Turk, who is averaging 11.3 points and 4.0 rebounds. The same productivity is a must this evening to take a 1-0 series lead to Monroe, Louisiana. Normally in match-ups such as this one, I go with the team that can put the "biscuit in the basket," in hopes of a win in a high-scoring game...BUT NOT TONIGHT! With the way the Ramblers have protected their house in March (3-0), I think Doyle, Thomas, James, and Turk will be able to contain Ongawe and Deng in a close, exciting matchup that send the Warhawks flying home in a must-win situation.
---Loyola (IL) 64, Louisiana-Monroe 63
Game 2:
8:00 PM EST-CBS College Sports
23-13 (8-10) Loyola (IL)
at
24-13 (14-6) Louisiana-Monroe
(Loyola (IL) leads series 1-0.)
23-13 (8-10) Loyola (IL)
Solid Wins:
-Kent State 69-61 (Road)
-Texas Tech 62-44 in the Semi-Finals of the Las Vegas Classic.
-Boise State 48-45 in the Championship of the Las Vegas Classic.
-Bradley 64-49 (Home)
-Evansville 71-70 (Road)
-Missouri State 53-50 without Milton Doyle and Christian Thomas (Road)
-Drake 80-75 in Overtime for Sixth Seed (Road)
-Indiana State 81-53 in Quarterfinal of Missouri Valley Conference Tournament (in St. Louis)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-#23 Northern Iowa 67-58 (Road)
-Southern Illinois 59-52 (Road)
-Southern Illinois 59-52 (Road)
-Evansville 65-56 (Home)
-Illinois State 48-45 (Home)
-Illinois State 67-60 (Road)
Tournament Run:
-Rider 62-59 in Sweet Sixteen (Home).
-Oral Roberts 86-78 in Elite Eight (Home).
-Seattle 63-48 in Final Four (Home).
-Win Against Louisiana-Monroe 65-58 in Game One of Championship, Best of Three Series (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#35 Milton Doyle (SO)
-11.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
---#32 Christian Thomas (SR)
-11.3 PPG & 4.5 RPG.
---#24 Montel James (JR)
-9.3 PPG & 4.4 RPG.
---#2 Earl Peterson (JR)
-8.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG, & 2.0 APG.
---#4 Devon Turk (JR)
-8.4 PPG & 2.6 RPG.
---#0 Donte Ingram (FR)
-5.0 PPG & 3.2 RPG.
24-13 (14-6) Louisiana-Monroe
Solid Wins:
-UAB 74-65 (Road)
-Northwestern State 82-74 (Home)
-Lousiana-Lafayette 57-55 (Road)
-Georgia Southern 71-68 in Overtime (Road)
-Louisiana-Lafayette 67-55 (Home)
"Never Shoulda Happened" Losses:
-Samford 64-50 (Road)
-Texas-Arlington 61-57 (Home)
-Arkansas State 70-68 (Road)
-Appalachian State 66-43 (Road)
Tournament Run
-Eastern Michigan 71-67 in Sweet Sixteen (Home)
-Mercer 71-69 in Elite Eight (Road)
-Vermont 71-65 in Final Four (Home)
-Loss To
Loyola (IL) 65-58 in Game One of Championship, Best of Three Series (Road)
Key Contributors:
---#12 Tylor Ongwae (SR)
-14.4 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.9 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#13 Majok Deng (JR)
-10.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, & 1.4 BPG.
---#11 Nick Coppola (SO)
-9.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, & 3.8 APG.
---#32 Justin Roberson (JR)
-8.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#5 Jamaal Samuel (JR)
-7.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
---#4 Mack Foster (JR)
-4.8 PPG & 1.8 RPG.
Prediction:
The Warhawks were flying high as they took a 26-24 lead into halftime of Game 1 of the College Basketball Invitational best of three championship series. Soon though the momentum was about to stay in their grasps or swing in favor of the team that would eventually win. The second half started with an Earl Peterson turnover that was taken for two by Louisiana-Monroe's Justin Roberson, which was exactly what head coach of Loyola Porter Moser didn't want out of the break. But for the following eight minutes, I am going to assume he was very pleased because the Ramblers went on a 31-18 run that put the home team ahead 55-44 with 8:08 remaining in the game. During the run, big man on Loyola Montel James threw down a rim-rattling dunk that not only made the crowd a factor again, but was number one on Sportscenter Top 10 plays from Monday night. But there was plenty of time remaining and Louisiana-Monroe actually was able to cut their deficit down to three with about four minutes left in regulation on a DeMondre Harvey tip in. We had ourselves a ball game in Chi-town! With the pressure on and the lead slipping away, not Milton Doyle nor Montel James but Christian Thomas was able to get a crucial offensive board and stick-back for two to end the Warhawks run and extend the lead back to five. After the last media timeout, the Ramblers defense stayed on the hunt as they held Louisiana-Monroe to zero for four shooting while "Stud Sophomore" Milton Doyle put the nail in the coffin with a made layup off a steal. Loyola wins...but will they be able to close the series tonight on the road? If their defense plays as well it did on in the previous game, the Ramblers will definitely be on the prowl for a two game series sweep, but we all must keep in mind that Star Senior on the Warhawks Tylor Ongwae went three for nineteen from the field on Monday for twelve points while grabbing eleven rebounds. The point I am trying to make is that no one should expect the same rough outing in his home gym! In addition, Jaamal Samuel was great for ULM in game one as he finished with fifteen points. But I do not see his performance playing a factor this evening! Personally, I see tonight being a "do or die" game for both teams because if the Ramblers fall tonight momentum will be in the Warhawks favor while if Louisiana-Monroe loses, Loyola will be named champions and the tournament will be over. Ramblers' guard Earl Peterson was huge in the opener as he led the pack with sixteen points, but I look for "Batman," Milton Doyle to be the main difference-maker. Doyle was three for ten from the floor and only collected six points in his home-town on Monday, but if I could take one thing away from what I have watched from this special talent the past two seasons, it is that MD35 does not have two off-games in a row (not saying that in Game 1 he didn't make a positive difference). By the end of tonight, I believe that the CBI Tournament will be all over because of Milton Doyle, who will forever be hated in Monroe, Louisiana in the years to come!
---Loyola (IL) 64, Louisiana-Monroe 62
Most Outstanding Player: Loyola's Milton Doyle (SO)
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