BALTIMORE — Loyola (Md.) simply could not figure out how to deal with Holy Cross forward Jacob Grandison and center Jehyve Floyd on Saturday — on offense or defense.
Grandison finished with a career-high 21 points and pulled down five rebounds, while Floyd added 14 points, 6 rebounds and 5 blocks, to lead the Crusaders past the Greyhounds, 73-57, in a Patriot League clash at Reitz Arena.
A 6-foot-6 freshman forward, Grandison entered the game averaging 7.1 points, but feeling better about his game. He scored 13 in HC's last game, a Jan. 29 loss to Lehigh, and posted double figures in two of his last four contests.
Grandison's progression continued strong on Saturday, as he was 7 of 10 from the field, including making 3 of 4 3-pointers. His long-range baskets always seemed to come at the right time, as Holy Cross (8-15, 5-7 PL) often worked the clock and sometimes needed a late shot.
“I think as the season has gone on, I’m getting more confidence at both ends of the floor,” Grandison said. “I was just having confidence on the floor and hitting shots.”
Meanwhile, Floyd did a little bit of everything for the Crusaders, who swept the season series with the Greyhounds (7-16, 5-7).
Offensively, he dominated down low and made his first four shots, stretching a personal streak to 20 in a row before missing in the second half.
The 6-8 junior center finished hitting 5 of 6 from the field. His strong play on defense in the post caused many problems for the Greyhounds, sometimes forcing them to alter their shots.
“I just let my defense ignite my offense,” Floyd said. “It gives me a spark. (On offense), my teammates found me down low. We wanted to create mismatches.”
Grandison and Floyd, however, were only part of the story, as the Crusaders had three more players hit double digits in Karl Charles (12 points), Caleb Green (12 points, 4 assists) and Austin Butler (10 points) .
Holy Cross made 17 of 20 free throws and outscored Loyola in the paint, 40-24.
“I thought it was a real team effort,” said HC coach Bill Carmody, whose team has won three of its last four games. “It was a good game for us. I thought it was one of our best games this year.”
The Crusaders led 39-26 at the half, and fended off a Loyola second-half rally that saw the Hounds cut it to, 50-42, on an Andrew Kostecka (team-high 14 points) layup with under 13 minutes left.
Unfazed, the Crusaders scored 11 of the next 14 points, including five by Grandison on a pair of free throws and a long 3-pointer.
“Right from the get-go, I thought we had a lot of energy and were making good decisions,” Carmody said. “(Grandison) had a really good game. Floyd, his activity level was very good.”