Doyle transferred to Loyola from the University of Kansas. He became the 1st player in the Loyola Ramblers’ history to be named to the All-MVC First Team & was also named as NABC First Team All-District 16 during his senior year. He was named MVC basketball player of the week twice during the 2016-17 season
Melbourne were in control with a 13-point lead early in the final period at John Cain Arena on Sunday before the JackJumpers launched a stunning fightback.
American guard Doyle drained 14 points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead triple with 20 seconds left to play.
Shea Ili had a great look for United to tie the scores in the dying stages but couldn’t hit the mark from the corner.
Tasmania led the contest for less than two minutes and outscored their hosts 27-14 in the final period to complete a huge week.
After a season-opening defeat to Perth, the JackJumpers rebounded with back-to-back wins over reigning champions Sydney and title favourites Melbourne in round two.
“To get a road win is very, very difficult in this league and we just had a really good, strong weekend,” Tasmania coach Scott Roth said.
“We’re humbled by it and we’re lucky to get out of there but we made enough plays down the stretch and our defence was sound enough to allow us to have a chance.”
Jordon Crawford kept Tasmania in the contest early with 10 first-quarter points and finished with 18, while Jack McVeigh (13 points, five rebounds) was also important.
Doyle finished with a game-high tallies of 25 points and eight rebounds.
“He’s a wonderful player, an incredible human being and (I like) the way he interacts with our guys,” Roth said.
“But we have pieces around him to give him confidence to do what he does.
“I thought Marcus (Lee) was very good in the last three or four minutes … and everyone just chipped in enough to do what we needed to get done.
“To put the ball in his (Doyle’s) hands is a coach’s dream for me. I can just get out of the way and let him do his thing.”
Doyle drained four three-pointers during his game-winning fourth-quarter burst.
“I tried to do it a little earlier but just couldn’t make a basket,” he said.
“Shooters keep shooting and some fell in at the end.”
Ariel Hukporti (15 points), Chris Goulding (12) and Ian Clark (11) led Melbourne’s scoring in their first loss of the new season.
Goulding drained all of his points in the first half from outside the arc as United led a low-scoring contest 36-35 at the main break.
Melbourne coach Dean Vickerman lamented his side’s inability to close out the contest in the final quarter after building what looked to be a game-winning lead.
“They were great. They came up with some offensive boards and pitch-out threes and scrambled,” Vickerman said of Tasmania.
“But mostly it’s Milton Doyle making plays and making four threes in the fourth quarter and making some tough ones over our hand.
“We had to keep chipping away. You can’t score three points (in the final six minutes) and expect to win.”
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