Horizon League First Round Recap

No. 4 Detroit 62, No. 9 Cleveland State 36
Senior guard Jimmy Twyman scored 13 points to lead three Titans in double figures in Detroit’s 62-36 blowout win over Cleveland State from Calihan Hall. Elijah Warren and Ryvon Covile scored 11 and 10 points respectively to round out double figure scorers for Detroit, who won their ninth straight game. Warren also grabbed nine rebounds for the Titans. For Cleveland State, they finished the year at 4-25 overall and a 23-game losing streak, longest in league history. Jermaine Robinson led the Vikings with 11 points, nine below his average. The Vikings shot only 32 percent from the field in the game. The win for Detroit gave them at least 18 wins for the seventh straight season. Detroit advances to play Loyola at the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Friday night.

No. 8 Loyola-Chicago 76, No. 5 Wright State 59
It was deja-vu for the Ramblers and Raiders on Tuesday night. Two years ago, the Raiders swept the season series, but would lose in the opening round of the league tournament. That feat was repeated again as the Ramblers got 19 points from Terrance Whiters and DaJuan Gouard en route to the only upset win of the opening round. Wright State grabbed the early advantage with an 18-6 run, but Loyola countered with a 19-7 run to tie the game at 25 shortly before the break. The lead changed hands six times in the first four minutes of the second half. Loyola took a 55-46 lead midway through the half and would hit 8-of-10 free throws in the last two minutes to seal the win. Paul McMillan registered his eighth double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds for Loyola. Vernard Hollins scored 21 points and First Team All-League selection Seth Doliboa scored only nine points for the Raiders. Loyola advances to play Detroit at the Hinkle Fieldhouse on Friday night.

No. 6 Butler 88, No. 7 Youngstown State 57
In their biggest offensive output of the season, the Bulldogs hit 60 percent from the field en route to an 88-57 blowout win over the Youngstown State Penguins. The Bulldogs scored more than 80 points for only the second time this season. The other time was on Feb. 25 against YSU. Sophomore Avery Sheets and freshmen Jamie Smalligan and Nick Brooks combined for 63 points for Butler as each scored 21 points, including 24-of-31 from the field and 10-of-15 from three-point range. The last time Butler had three players score at least 20 points in a game was Dec. 5, 1984 when Tim Haseley (30), Tim McRoberts (21) and Darrin Fitzgerald (20) turned the trick against Indiana State. The victory assured Butler their 11th consecutive winning season and advanced them to play UW-Green Bay at the Hinkle Fieldhouse on Friday night.