CHICAGO, Ill. – The Benedictine University men's basketball team took on Division I Loyola University Chicago in an exhibition on Saturday evening, falling 84-44.

Trailing 2-0 early, Dario Jokic buried a three on the first Benedictine possession of the night to hand the Eagles their lone lead. Loyola promptly embarked on a 9-0 run to jump ahead 12-3 before Jamison Montgomery drove to the hole with a layup. Benedictine clawed within 12-8 with 13:57 remaining in the half on a Matt Mackowiak jumper before the host Ramblers went on a 14-0 run to take command.

Loyola led 47-22 at the half, shooting 18-27 for 66.7 percent. Junior post Ben Averkamp put up 19 first half points. Trailing by as many as 43 in the second half, Benedictine went on a 7-0 run late.

Benedictine forced 17 turnovers in the defeat. Jamison Montgomery led the way by scoring 10 points. Benedictine shot 27.5 percent in the game.

The contest was played on Loyola's Lakeshore campus inside the Halas Sports Center, an on-campus recreation center with Gentile Arena, the basketball home of the Ramblers, currently finishing up renovations.

Benedictine and Loyola faced off during the 2004-05 regular season with Loyola scoring a 74-59 win on November 24.
Benedictine will open the regular season on November 15 in the newly renovated Rice Center against Knox College at 7:00 p.m.