AN ENGROSSING game within the game took place in the NCAA National Invitational Tournament earlier this week, when the Loyola Chicago Ramblers defeated the San Francisco Dons by a single point in a thrilling clash.

March Madness has seen some memorable performances over the years, and there were two more added to the list when Loyola’s Jayden Dawson and San Francisco’s Malik Thomas duelled in an incredible display of offence throughout the course of the match.

Ultimately, both players landed huge shots down the stretch, but it was the Ramblers who got the job done in the end, holding on for a one-point win in memorable fashion, getting defensive stops in a frantic finish to the game.

The match will certainly be remembered for the performances of Dawson and Thomas, who went head-to-head and traded big shots in a marvellous scoring showing from both players.

Loyola Chicago Ramblers (77) def. San Francisco Dons (76)

Jayden Dawson – 35 points, four rebounds, one assist
Malik Thomas – 36 points, seven rebounds, five assists

Both players nearly accounted for half of their team’s total score in a pair of masterful individual performances, but their offence came from vastly different methods, albeit to a similar result given Thomas pipped his opponent by a single point.

Dawson was a true three level scorer in the win over the Dons, putting up shots from everywhere and finding the most luck scoring the ball inside. When driving to the hoop, he is relentless and does not shy away from any opponent standing in his way.

The Ramblers gun finished the match with 35 points on 14/27 shooting from the field and 4/11 shooting from behind the arc. Loyola Chicago looked to get the ball in his hands as much as possible, and Dawson certainly rewarded the faith.

On the other hand, Thomas was slightly more productive for the Dons, both as a scorer and passer in particular, sharing the ball around and getting his teammates involved. Although he was the go-to option on the offensive end, the guard was generous with his passes and helped his teammates find their rhythm on the scoring front.

In terms of his own production, Thomas did the majority of his work at the charity stripe, which helped him overcome an off shooting night from the field. Despite shooting 8/22 from the field and 3/8 from long range, it was his 17/17 performance at the charity stripe that pushed him to a game-high 36 points.

In fitting fashion, both players were prominent when the game was on the line, with Thomas nailing a three to give the Dons the lead, before Dawson answered down the other end with a layup to put the Ramblers back in front.

These ended up being the final scoring plays of the match, with Dawson and Loyola Chicago doing enough to hold on despite a brave performance from Thomas, capping off a seriously entertaining matchup.