Validating Loyola’s defense

The note said Loyola (MD) won its sixth straight, defeating St. Peter’s yesterday,  and ‘has now held six straight opponents to 57 points or less’. That is the material that makes your tempo-free pulse race. The opportunity to answer the question, is Loyola’s point total predicated on good defense, a slower pace or a combination of both? Let’s take a look

Opponent	Score	Possessions	Defensive eff.
Siena	66-57	64	86
St. Peter’s	65-54	58	93
@Niagara	69-57	62	92
@Canisius	70-52	59	88
Rider	63-46	63	73
@St.Peter’s	66-55	61	90

Call this a little of both. A slower tempo but an undeniably stingy defense. The averages of the last six games:

Points allowed                       53.5

Possessions                         61

Defensive Efficiency               87

 The scoring totals or more specific, points allowed is impressive. Each of Loyola’s games have been at more of a pedestrian pace. You hit the high sixties and venture into the seventies per possession, you are getting out to some transition. The Greyhounds’ recent opposition has not looked to engage in a ‘NASCAR’ pace with Loyola. Now, the deciding metric is defensive efficiency (points per possession times 100). Not one of the last half dozen games saw an opponent hit 1.00 points per possession. The highest mark was the .93 in the first St. Peter’s game in Baltimore. Give coach Jim Patsos and his club credit. A lot of it. The ideal for a team defensively is to hold opponents under 1.00 points per possession. The last six games Loyola has held the opponents under .90. That’s great defense. Regardless of the game pace.

-Ray Floriani