Game Notes 

CHICAGO (December 20, 2018) - Loyola looks to match its longest winning streak of the season - three games - when it travels to Philadelphia Saturday to face Jesuit rival Saint Joseph's at The Palestra. The game is a homecoming of sorts for Ramblers redshirt senior guard Marques Townes, who grew up in nearby Edison, New Jersey. The Ramblers have won eight of their last nine true road games, including each of the last four. During that four-game road winning streak, Loyola is putting up 74.8 points per game and shooting 56.5 percent (109-for-193) from the field and 43.2 percent (32-for-74) from three-point territory. Loyola has held back-to-back opponents to fewer than 50 points for the first time since December 22-31, 2014 and over the last pair of contests, is yielding 48.0 ppg and holding teams to 33.6 percent (36-for-107) shooting from the field.

Loyola – Saint Joseph's – The Series

Jesuit rivals Loyola and Saint Joseph's are meeting for just the second time ever and the Hawks prevailed in the only previous match-up between the teams, just two seasons ago. In that previous encounter, Aundre Jackson scored 22 points off the bench, but it wasn't enough as the Ramblers couldn't overcome 26 points from Lamarr Kimble and 20 from Shavar Newkirk in a 71-57 setback at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands, November 16, 2016.

Loyola is 53-78 (.406) all-time versus current members of the Atlantic 10 conference and earlier this season disposed of A-10 foe Richmond, 82-66, at the Fort Myers Tip-Off. At some point in its history, Loyola has been conference mates with current A-10 members Dayton, Duquesne, La Salle and Saint Louis.

Scouting Saint Joseph's

The Hawks are playing their first game in two weeks, when they fell to city rival Villanova, 70-58, despite 22 points from Lamarr Kimble. Saint Joseph's has dropped two of its last three contests and to this point has one common opponent with Loyola. Last month, the Hawks rallied to earn an 89-75 victory over UIC as Kimble erupted for 31 points.

Forward Charlie Brown leads the A-10 and Hawks in scoring with 22.0 ppg and is shooting a sizzling 52 percent (26-for-50) from beyond the arc this season, while Kimble chips in 18.4 ppg to spearhead Saint Joseph's potent offense. No one in the country takes care of the ball better than Saint Joseph's, which ranks tied with Virginia for first in the nation with only 8.2 turnovers per contest.

Up Next

Loyola gets a nice 10-day break for the holidays before commencing its quest for another Missouri Valley Conference title when it hosts Indiana State January 2 at 8 p.m.