CHICAGO (December 4, 2020) - After having the start of the season delayed by positive COVID-19 tests, Loyola will open the 2020-21 season Saturday afternoon when it hosts NCAA Division II foe, Lewis. The Ramblers are coming off their third straight season with 20 or more wins. Loyola returns 94 percent of its offense from last year, including its starting five.
 
The Ramblers are 80-22 (.784) all time in season openers and are 8-1 (.889) on Opening Day under head coach Porter Moser. Loyola has prevailed in 15 of its last 16 home openers, including each of the last 11, and is 9-0 under Moser in its first home contest of a season.
 
Gentile Arena has been kind to the Ramblers in nonconference play over the last few years. When playing non-league foes, Loyola has emerged victorious in 25 of the last 30 games in Rogers Park versus teams from outside the Missouri Valley Conference.
 
Over the last three seasons, Loyola is 73-31 (.702) overall and is an impressive 41-7 (.854) in games played at Gentile Arena. The Ramblers' 73 wins over the last three seasons (32, 20, 21) are their most over a three-year period since the 1961-62 through 1963-64 campaigns when Loyola notched 74 victories (23, 29, 22).
 
Loyola – Lewis – The Series
Saturday's matinee is the ninth all-time meeting in the regular season between the Ramblers and Flyers and the first since December 2, 1975. Loyola possesses a 6-2 advantage in the series. In that most recent matchup 45 years ago, Tony Parker scored 29 points to key the Ramblers' 98-67 victory.
 
Loyola has won each of the last five games in the series and is 6-1 in games played on its home floor. 
 
The teams have squared off on a handful of occasions in exhibition action in recent history, most recently on October 17, 2017 at Gentile Arena. Aundre Jackson scored 20 points to pace the Rambler attack that evening. Loyola would wind up reaching the NCAA Final Four that season.
 
Scouting Lewis
Lewis, which went 13-15 a year ago, has split its first two contests of 2020-21, falling at Truman State (86-65) before toppling Quincy (77-70).
 
Head coach Scott Trost, who is in his 15th season as the bench boss for the Flyers, has seen his club struggle with shooting in the season's early going. Lewis has connected on only 29.3 percent (12-for-41) of its three-point tries and 42.4 percent (53-for-125) of its field goals overall through two outings.
 
Senior swingman Trevian Bell spearheads the Lewis offense, leading the way with 14.5 points per game, while also collecting 7.0 rebounds per contest.
 
Up Next
Loyola is scheduled to face Chicago State at Gentile Arena on December 9 at 2:30 p.m. That game will be televised live on NBC Sports Chicago.