North Texas beats Loyola-Chicago at the buzzer in back-and-forth bout

It is not often that a college basketball team is in “must-win” mode three games into the season. But the Loyola Chicago Ramblers desperately needed a victory after a rough start to the season.

On opening night, the Ramblers required a buzzer-beating 3 to defeat Cleveland State — picked eighth in the preseason Horizon League poll — at home. Then came a worrisome 73-65 home loss to Mercyhurst. Loyola trailed by at least six points the entire second half against a team in its second Division I season.

LUC would not have an easy game to finish out the opening week, playing regular American Athletic Conference contender North Texas. The neutral site game took place at NOW Arena, the home of the G League Windy City Bulls, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Sunday night.

The Mean Green, who began the year 2-0, are adept at giving opponents 40 minutes of uncomfortable basketball. They consistently rank among the best defensive teams in the country while playing one of the slowest tempos.

North Texas signaled early that the game would be a physical battle. Loyola star guard Justin Moore was the initial target. Moore was the Ramblers’ lone bright spot in the Mercyhurst defeat, scoring or assisting 16 of his team’s 20 made field goals.

UNT did not let Moore get comfortable. UNT’s defense forced him to give up the ball, frequently coming at him with traps and doubles. The Mean Green’s physicality led to three fouls on the Loyola playmaker before the first media timeout.

Moore never found his rhythm, finishing with 10 points and two assists, while committing five turnovers. He went 2 for 9 from the field. The guard’s struggles extended to the entire team, as the Ramblers underwent numerous scoring droughts.

After Moore opened the game with a layup, Loyola did not make a field goal for the next 7:14, failing to convert on the open threes that Moore set up as a distributor. The Chicago squad was 2-15 from deep in the first half.

UNT built a 10-point lead, but LUC stayed in the game thanks to a high North Texas foul count. The Ramblers attempted 16 free throws in the first half. Unfortunately for Drew Valentine’s squad, they only hit eight of their foul shots.

North Texas’ offense was not particularly inspiring either. Yet despite its own seven-plus-minute stretch without a made field goal, UNT finished the first half with all of the momentum due to their aggressiveness on both ends.

Offensively, the Mean Green earned countless trips to the free-throw line, scoring their last 12 points of the half from the charity stripe.

They also filled the stat sheet with hustle plays, forcing four turnovers, blocking five shots, and grabbing four offensive rebounds during their 14-3 run to close out the half with a 34-20 lead. North Texas nailed 15 of 16 first-half free throws.

In the second half, Ramblers head coach Drew Valentine and his Ramblers squad — eager to recover from several poor halves of basketball — became the aggressors.

The ‘Blers played with renewed defensive intensity, forcing three early turnovers and scoring the first nine points of the second period.

“We came out and were initiators in the second half,” Valentine said. “Hopefully, we continue to do that. We had a lot of spirit, heart, and life in the second half. I’m proud of that fight.”

If the first half was a story of Loyola not exploiting its opportunities, then the second 20 minutes were about Loyola eliminating North Texas’ chances.

Loyola forward Miles Rubin — a two-time Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team honoree — was vital to shutting down the Mean Green. His two early blocks in the second half made UNT reconsider driving the lane, and the North Texas backcourt began settling for contested threes.

The de facto visitors could not find any fluidity in the half-court, and the Ramblers regained the lead via a Chuck Love III three-point play at the 10:01 mark. A Love put-back on the next possession increased the margin to three points.

From there, the game was nothing short of a heavyweight fight. Loyola held its advantage until the final minutes. North Texas’ veteran backcourt of Je’Shawn Stevenson and David Terrell Jr. combined for 13 of UNT’s 15 points during one late-game stretch, much of it coming from the free-throw line.

Stevenson was the Mean Green’s most consistent scoring threat, leading all players with 23 points.

After Terrell Jr. hit a pair of free throws with 59 seconds left, Loyola’s shooting issues resurfaced. Amidst a scramble, Ramblers missed three straight good looks from deep, and the chaotic possession ended with a Rubin turnover. In a rare fast-break opportunity, Stevenson fed Terrell Jr. for the lay-up.

Loyola was not done. The Ramblers split a pair of free throws, then caught a break when UNT missed the front end of its ensuing one-and-one. LUC guard Kymany Houinsou grabbed the rebound and dribbled the length of the court to lay it in — tying the game at 62 with 3.7 seconds left.

Houinsou’s heroics were only momentary. Forgoing its final timeout, North Texas inbounded quickly. Chase Robinson received the inbounds pass near halfcourt, took one dribble, then dished to Dylan Arnett at the top of the key.

With the 7-foot-3-inch wingspan of Miles Rubin in his face, Arnett gathered and shot from the free-throw line as the buzzer sounded. The Cleveland State transfer’s shot circled the rim and found the bottom of the net.

Valentine and his staff were visibly upset coming off the floor, claiming the clock started late on the inbounds and that Arnett traveled before releasing his shot. The clock timing was correct, as Robinson astutely let the pass lead him before grabbing it. But replays show that Arnett did shuffle his feet.

Once Arnett received the ball, he established his pivot foot, lifted it, and returned it to the ground before releasing his shot. With officials only able to review whether Arnett released his shot before the final buzzer (he did with 0.7 seconds left), the Mean Green departed the Chicagoland area with a gutsy victory.

“I’m super proud of this group,” UNT head coach Daniyal Robinson said. “A ton of credit to coach Drew Valentine and their team. They have a great team and fought back, but we stuck together, and Dylan came up big.”

The Mean Green improved to 3-0 under Robinson in his first season in Denton, having previously led Cleveland State to three consecutive 20-win campaigns.

For Loyola, it is another disappointing start for a team that has underperformed on preseason expectations under Head Coach Denzel Valentine. The Ramblers have finished the season at least 15 spots lower than their preseason Ken Pomeroy ranking in each of the last three years.

LUC looks to get back on track with a road trip to Wichita State before hosting Colorado State. North Texas travels west for its own week against a pair of tough mid-majors, facing Oregon State and Saint Mary’s.