Loyola’s losing skid reaches 11 with loss to Youngstown State

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Updated: March 7, 2012 9:50AM

Senior Walt Gibler will remember Sunday’s game against Youngstown State for scoring his 1,000th point and becoming the 38th player in Loyola history to do so.

But it was overshadowed by the 80-63 score in Loyola’s 11th straight defeat, its longest losing streak since dropping 12 straight in 1992-93.

The Ramblers (5-18, 0-13 Hor­izon League) had no answer for sophomore guard Kendrick Perry, who had 28 points, six assists and seven steals and orchestrated the Penguins scoring 36 points off 18 Loyola turnovers.

‘‘He killed us,’’ said Gibler, who led Loyola with 18 points playing with lingering soreness in his left shoulder. ‘‘He played an unbelievable game, and we didn’t have an answer. But look at the stats for all their starters — we couldn’t stop any of them.’’

Youngstown State (13-10, 8-5) had four starters in double figures, including junior guard Blake Allen (19 points), junior forward Damian Eargle (12) and senior guard Ashen Ward (11). But it was Perry’s accuracy (11-for-14 from the field) and quickness that keyed the attack.

Loyola again played without its scoring leader, junior forward Ben Averkamp, who’s still suffering concussion symptoms after a fall last week in a game at Wright State.

The game was close in the first half, with Loyola pulling to 32-30 with 2:45 left after a pair of free throws from senior Jordan Hicks (16 points, six rebounds). But the Penguins pushed their lead to 37-30 before the break, then opened the second half with a 9-0 run. They led by 23 with 3:31 remaining.

Gibler’s 1,000th point came with 11:27 left in the game. He had been benched for the final five minutes of the first half after drawing a technical foul for taunting Ward, who had fouled him.