The Cliffs Notes version of Mankato Loyola 66, Cleveland 57 is the visiting Clippers couldn’t buy a basket for most of the first half, rallied in the final three minutes before the break to pull within nine, trimmed their deficit to just a point early in the second half, but let the Crusaders take over with steals and three-point baskets after that.
The final score wasn’t as close as it looked.
All told in the first half, the Clippers missed 14 shots from behind the arc, seven shots close to the net and three attempts outside the paint. The lackluster shooting made the difference, said head coach Dan Fredrickson.
“We lost the game offensively, not defensively, even though they scored 66. It was just us taking poor shots and playing too individually.”
Coming off a 66-44 win over host Tri-City United, it was the first loss this season for Cleveland. The Crusaders' only loss was by a basket to T/ML/GEHC in their opener.
The Clippers missed a pair of threes right away, but after an Alex McCabe swipe, Elijah Sullivan’s three tied the game 3-3 at 13:40.
Sullivan’s basket was a third of the points the Clippers would have for almost the first 15 minutes.
McCabe made a couple of free shots, and Isaac Mueller (above) sunk the second of two. Later Sullivan added another three, but the Clippers still trailed 16-9.
“If you’re going to look at the scope of the game, we lost it in the first 10 minutes,” Fredrickson said. “We were settling for challenged shots instead of getting the ball inside. We felt a little rushed offensively. That’s on me. We need to have a few more calls. I could tell we were getting out of synch.”
With Cleveland off target inside and outside, the Crusaders went out front 29-9, but Mueller’s steal and coast-to-coast drive for a layup with 3:05 left was the start of an 11-point Clipper rally.
After a Sullivan steal, Ben Holden rebounded and scored inside. Eric Rohlfing scored on a jumper and with a couple of drives to the hoop. With Rohlfing’s and-one free shot for his fifth-straight point, the Clippers were suddenly within nine, 29-20.
Cleveland got a couple more shots off in the final 45 seconds, but they were off the rim. Loyola’s buzzer beater attempt was off the mark too, so the Clippers still trailed by nine at the break.
The Clippers took advantage of Loyola turnovers early in the second half. Rohlfing made a free shot and a jumper in the paint, and Holden scored twice inside. With another Sullivan three after a McCabe steal, the Clippers were within three, 33-30.
“We made some adjustments offensively,” Fredrickson said. “We still didn’t necessarily get the ball inside the way we wanted, but we made them have to guard a little bit. We closed that gap. The kids did a nice job defensively, but you have to spend so much energy trying to get back in the game when you’re down by 20.”
Holden’s hook shot at the 13:15 pulled the Clippers within a point, but the Crusaders responded with a basket. The Clippers missed another three, but Rohlfing drove through the paint for a basket to again pull Cleveland back within a point
That was as close as they would get. With seven of the next nine points, Loyola took the game over. Mueller got flagged with an offensive foul, and the Crusaders made three steals to widen their lead, 47-36.
The Clippers never got in the game after that, especially after the Crusaders buried a trio of threes in a row.
“We missed two rotations,” Fredrickson said. “Whether that’s us being fatigued or just mentally lapsed, that’s something we normally close out pretty well. They made the lead go from five to 11 and then it was us playing one-on-one basketball, getting out of what we’re good at."
Sullivan made a couple of threes, and Mueller made one down the stretch to make the contest look a little closer than it was.
“Loyola was prepared; they were ready tonight,” Fredrickson said. “We will definitely be more prepared and ready next time.”
Holden led the effort with 16 points and 15 rebounds. All of Sullivan’s 15 points came from behind the arc. Rohlfing scored 14 points, and Mueller added 10.
“Nobody on our team is less of a player tonight than they were coming into tonight, so we just have to regroup and get back to basics,” Fredrickson said. “Every team needs to face adversity. Now we faced it, and we come out strong and a little more battle tested.”
On Tuesday, after being up 40-17 at the break, the Clippers beat TCU in Montgomery, 66-44. Holden scored 25 points and pulled down 15 rebounds. Sullivan had 16 points, and Rohlfing contributed a dozen points.
The Clippers are back in action on Tuesday when they host JWP. The 1-4 Bulldogs' win was over Madelia.
Mankato Loyola 29 37 66
Cleveland 20 37 57
Points 57 (Ben Holden 16, Eric Rohlfing 14, Isaac Mueller 10, Alex McCabe 2, Elijah Sullivan 15)
Assists 13 (Mueller 4, Sullivan 3, McCabe 4, Jackson Meyer 1, Cameron Seely 1)
Rebounds 31 (Holden 15, Rohlfing 7, Mueller 5, McCabe 1, Sullivan 3, Seely 1)
Steals 16 (Holden 2, Rohlfing 1, Mueller 6, McCabe 2, Sullivan 5)
Blocks 1 (Rohlfing 1)
Turnovers 8
2FG 16-35 (46%)
3FG 6-30 (20%) (Mueller 1, Sullivan 5)
FT 7-11 (64%)
Cleveland 40 26 66
Tri-City United 17 27 44
Points 66 (Ben Holden 25, Eric Rohlfing 12, Isaac Mueller 9, Alex McCabe 4, Elijah Sullivan 16)
Assists 13 (Holden 3, Mueller 4, McCabe 2, Sullivan 2, Cameron Seely 2)
Rebounds 33 (Holden 15, Rohlfing 5, Mueller 3, McCabe 2, Sullivan 3, Seely 4, Jackson Meyer 1)
Steals 14 (Holden 2, Rohlfing 2, Mueller 3, McCabe 2, Sullivan 5)
Blocks 4 (Holden 4)
Turnovers 1
2FG 18-34 (53%)
3FG 5-17 (29%) (Holden 1, Sullivan 4)
FT 15-28 (54%)
Ben Holden on the jumper.
Eric Rohlfing dribbles down court.
Alex McCabe takes the ball up and in.