THE BASICS:

• Score:  Loyola (Md.) 71, Holy Cross 54
• Records: Holy Cross 8-12, 3-6 PL; Loyola 5-14, 4-4 PL
• Location: Hart Center, Worcester, Mass.
• Date: January 27, 2016
• The Lead: Freshman forward Karl Charles totaled 17 points and eight rebounds, but the Holy Cross men's basketball team was defeated by Loyola (Md.) 71-54 at the Hart Center.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The game was close early on, and Holy Cross held a 14-12 lead after the first six minutes of play.
• The Greyhounds scored the next eight points to pull in front, and were still up three (25-22) with six minutes left before the break.
• Loyola then used a 12-0 run to claim a 15-point lead, and went on to take a 39-24 advantage into the locker room.
• The Greyhounds increased their lead to 18 points (46-28) early in the second half, before the Crusaders used a 14-2 spurt to work their way back into the game.
• Holy Cross was able to trim the margin down to five points (54-49) with nine minutes left to play, before going cold from the field.
• The Crusaders would score only five more points for the remainder of the night, as Loyola pulled away in the closing minutes to win by 17.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Junior forward Malachi Alexander finished the game with 11 points, four rebounds and three steals.
• Senior guard Cullen Hamilton and junior guard Robert Champion added eight points each.
• Holy Cross shot just 38.3 percent from the floor (23 of 60) and 17.4 percent from three-point range (four of 23) in the game.
• The Greyhounds hit on 57.7 percent of their field goal attempts (30 of 52), and also held a 35-28 rebounding advantage.
• Jarred Jones led Loyola with 22 points, eight rebounds and four steals.

UP NEXT:

• Holy Cross returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 30, when it plays host to Navy in a 1:05 p.m. game at the Hart Center.

BE PART OF THE ACTION:

• Single-game tickets to see the Crusaders are on sale now. Make sure you don't miss the opportunity to see the best collegiate basketball in Central Massachusetts! Tickets for Holy Cross basketball can be purchased online at GoHolyCross.com/tickets or over the phone by calling 1-844-GOCROSS.

KEEP CONNECTED:

• To stay updated on the Holy Cross men's basketball team, follow the Crusaders on Twitter @HCrossMBB and on Facebook at HolyCrossBasketball.
• You can also subscribe for email alerts for all news and information on the team by clicking here.