WASHINGTON — Des Watson played a pivotal role in leading Loyola Chicago to a 72-64 victory over Saint Louis during the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament quarterfinals on Friday. Watson’s impressive performance tallied him 25 points, setting the stage for Loyola Chicago (22-10) to face off against the top-seeded VCU in the semifinals on Saturday.
Demonstrating precision, Watson managed to make 7 out of 14 shots from the field, and displayed accuracy beyond the arc by hitting 3 of 5 attempts. In addition, he was nearly flawless from the free-throw line, scoring 8 out of 9. Contributions also came from Jayden Dawson, who scored a total of 12 points with a shooting performance of 5 for 14, despite going 1 for 6 from three-point territory. Sheldon Edwards added to the scoreboard with 10 points, hitting 4 out of 8 shots overall, and connecting on 2 of his 5 attempts from beyond the arc.
Saint Louis, now 19-14, saw standout efforts from Isaiah Swope, who spearheaded the team with an exceptional 30 points. Another key player for the Billikens was Robbie Avila, who chipped in with 12 points, supplemented by six rebounds and two blocks.
Loyola Chicago asserted control of the game early, capturing the lead with 16:17 left in the first half and maintaining it throughout. Watson was instrumental in this effort, earning 14 of his points in the opening half, which allowed the Ramblers to secure a 38-30 advantage by halftime. Watson continued to lead his team’s efforts in the second half by contributing an additional 11 points.
