BY MICHAEL WOJTYCHIW                                                                    Nov 23, 2010

Harlan got 21 points from Shaquille Hines as it defeated Loyola in their opener 52-49 in the first round of the Loyola/New Trier tournament Monday evening in Wilmette.

The Falcons (1-0) used stifling defense in the first half to limit the Ramblers to just 12 points. The defense caused havoc for Loyola, forcing them into 12 turnovers through the first two periods and 21 for the game.

“Coach always tells us defense wins games and that’s obviously what we did,” said Hines. “It was a hostile environment, being on their home court and all but we did what we needed to do to get the win.”

Harlan kept Loyola (0-1) scoreless for over a seven minute stretch that extended from the middle of the first quarter to the middle of the second. In the mean time, the team went on a 9-0 run that turned an 8-2 deficit to an 11-8 lead. From the time Harlan trailed 8-2, the team went on a 18-4 run to end the first half.

Loyola was able to get better shots and created better opportunities for themselves with their zone defenses and pressure leading to turnovers and easy baskets. Michael Lang led all scorers with 24points, while Jared Prince added 13, as the Ramblers fought back from a seven point deficit with 1:39 in the game.

Harlan allowed Loyola to keep the game close by committing three turnovers and missing four free throws in the last two minutes, including two free throws that would have put the game away with 5.8 seconds to play. Lang was able to pull off a game-tying three pointer as the clock expired, but his shot clanked off the rim, giving the Falcons the win.