Rowan DuBois | staff writer

No. 6 Davidson ended No. 14 Loyola Chicago’s Cinderella hopes in overtime Thursday night in PPG Paints Arena, winning 64-59 despite fourth-quarter heroics from Loyola guard Kayde Dotson.

The Wildcats held a 56-53 lead with 16 seconds remaining, but Dotson sent his defender flying with a pump fake before drilling the game-tying shot with 0.6 seconds on the clock.

“I knew we were down 3, somebody had to make a play and I didn’t want the season to end,” Dotson said. “I wanted to give it everything I had, so I stepped up and I made a shot.”

The Ramblers’ miracle ended there, however, as Davidson outscored them 8-3 in overtime with clutch buckets from forward Sean Logan and guard Josh Scovens.

Both teams endured poor shooting to start the game, especially from long range. Loyola went 1-for-10 on 3-pointers in the first half, while the Wildcats didn’t do much better, going 1-for-9.

“We were getting pretty good shots early on,” Schovens said. “They just weren’t falling, so we just kept at it, kept at it, kept pushing and we got the result.”

The Ramblers established a 24-19 halftime lead off the back of 16 points in the paint, 10 of which came from center Alexander Richardson. Loyola’s other big, Miles Rubin, finished with a game-high 20 points.

Davidson got its rhythm back in the second half as guard Roberts Blums scored all 14 of his points off the bench in the final period.

Schovens was the most consistent scorer for the Wildcats, finishing with 13 points and a clutch overtime bucket off the glass.

“I anchor myself in just being a dog,” Schovens said. “My teammates just provide that energy in me, and I just try to bring it back and give that dog energy out, so everyone else can be a dog around me.”

Loyola finished last in the A10 with a 4-14 conference record, including two losses to Davidson, but they earned their shot at a rematch via a 15-point comeback against Richmond in the opening round of the tournament on Wednesday.

The 5-point deficit was the closest the two teams finished all year.

“It’s tough to beat a team three times,” Davidson Head Coach Matt McKillop said. “That was the best shot they’ve given us all year, so credit to them.”

A quick turnaround is ahead for Davidson, who will face No. 3 Saint Joseph’s Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Rowan DuBois can be reached at duboisr1@duq.edu