Foster Loyer went off! Three things we learned about Davidson in win vs. Delaware

Foster Loyer scored 11 consecutive points in a three-minute stretch of the first half, leading Davidson to a comfortable 93-71 season-opening victory Tuesday night over Delaware.

The Wildcats treated the crowd of nearly 2,800 fans at Belk Arena to a scintillating shooting display, hitting 59% from the floor and 61% from 3-point range.

Loyer led the way with 27 points, but three other Wildcats were in double figures — Hyunjung Lee (15), Sam Mennenga (13) and Michael Jones (13).

It was Davidson’s only pre-Thanksgiving appearance at home. The Wildcats play Saturday night at San Francisco and then compete Nov. 18, 19 and 21 in the Myrtle Beach Classic.

Here are three things we learned from Davidson’s opener:

Foster Loyer is a keeper

First, some background. Loyer, a 6-foot junior guard, is a former prep Mr. Basketball in Michigan and played his first two years at Michigan State.

He hit his first 3-pointer Tuesday night just 1:55 into the game. But he took over the game with 8:51 left in the first half and Davidson ahead 19-18. Over the next 2:48, Loyer hit a trio of 3-pointers and another field goal. The last of those 3s came from nearly 10 feet beyond the arc.

“I was excited about playing here,” Loyer said of his debut at Davidson. “I give credit to the rest of the team for helping set me up.”

Wildcats’ head coach Bob McKillop said Loyer is more than an excellent shooter. “He is a playmaker, and he can do other things on the court,” he said.

Loyer hit 10 of 12 field goals Tuesday and was 6 of 6 from 3-point range.

His performance should help ease the anxiety among some Davidson fans about the departure of Kellan Grady and his 2,000-plus career points to Kentucky.

After faking out an opponent, stepping back behind the 3-point line, and hitting a shot midway in the second half for a 75-47 Davidson lead, Loyer smiled.

“Yeah, it was a fun night,” he said.

Belk Arena can be a fun place

The Wildcats played in a mostly empty Belk Arena last season due to COVID-19 restrictions. But an enthusiastic crowd Tuesday night helped carry the team, McKillop said.

“It was wonderful,” he said. “Those fans inspired us. They lifted us. They made this enjoyable.”

The crowd was at its loudest twice during the night. The first time was after a Hoyer 3-pointer that gave the Wildcats a 22-18 lead with 8:51 left in the first half. The second time followed Nelson Boachie-Yiadom’s dunk for a 79-47 lead with 8:29 to play.

There’s still work to do

It was a perfect outing by Davidson, although McKillop said he was “very pleased with what I considered a total team performance.”

Notably, forward Luke Brajkovic, a third-team preseason All-Atlantic 10 pick, struggled. He got into early foul trouble and picked up his fifth personal foul with 6:03 remaining.

Brajkovic finished with seven points.

But McKillop wasn’t in a mood to criticize.

“Even Luka, who struggled with fouls, made some big plays,” he said. “That’s an indication that even when he has a tough night, he’ll keep working.”

The Wildcats were outrebounded 31-29 and committed more fouls (23-18) than the Blue Hens.

But the play of Hoyer, Lee (who also had five rebounds and five assists) and Sam Mennenga (a game-high 10 rebounds to go with his 13 points) should give Wildcat fans reason to be hopeful about this season.

This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 11:06 PM.