CHICAGO (November 14, 2021) - Loyola continues a season-opening, four-game homestand Tuesday night when it welcomes Chicago State to Gentile Arena. The high-scoring Ramblers have won 12 straight contests versus teams from the Chicagoland area since a 61-59 loss at UIC on January 16, 2013.

A win over the Cougars would give Loyola its second consecutive 3-0 start to a season. The Ramblers have started three of the last five seasons with three straight wins.

The Ramblers have scored a total of 192 points this season, which is their most through the opening two games of a campaign since 1984-85 when they lit up the scoreboard for 194 points through the first pair of contests.

Gentile Arena has become one of the most difficult places in the country for opponents to play and the Ramblers bring a 24-game home-court winning streak, the fifth-longest active streak in NCAA Division I play, into Tuesday's showdown with Chicago State. Loyola has won 31 of its last 36 (.861) nonconference games at home.

Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Loyola is 56-7 (.889) overall and 34-2 (.944) in MVC action at Gentile Arena. 

In its last six nonconference home games, Loyola is producing 84.2 points per game and is shooting a scorching 54.7 percent (187-for-342) from the field and 41.9 percent (62-for-148) from three-point territory.

Chris Knight has been compared to former Rambler reserve Aundre Jackson, who was a key player on the Ramblers' 2017-18 Final Four squad. Through two games, Knight is averaging 12.0 ppg and shooting an unbelievable 91.7 percent (11-for-12) from the field. In Jackson's first two games as a Rambler in 2016-17, he tallied 12.5 ppg on 11-for-15 (.733) shooting.

Loyola – Chicago State – The Series

City rivals Loyola and Chicago State are meeting for the 12th time in a series that began in 1986 and the Ramblers have dropped just one of the previous 11 encounters.

The Ramblers have captured each of the last four matchups overall between the teams and are a perfect 7-0 against the Cougars on their home floor.

Last December, when the teams met at Gentile Arena, Cameron Krutwig scored 22 points and corralled nine rebounds and Tate Hall added 15 points as Loyola shot a sizzling 59 percent (36-for-61) from the field to roll to an 88-51 victory. The Ramblers held the Cougars to 25 percent shooting in the second half, out-scoring them, 49-20.

Scouting Chicago State

For the first time since the 2014-15 season, Chicago State boasts a two-game win streak over Division I opponents as it heads into Tuesday's game in Rogers Park. The Cougars, under the direction of first-year head coach Gerald Gillion, are playing their first road game of 2021-22.

Chicago State is coming off a 67-56 decision over SIU Edwardsville over the weekend. Brandon Betson tallied 18 points and Bryce Johnson chipped in 17 points as the Cougars limited SIUE to a paltry 25.9 percent (14-for-54) shooting to pick up the victory on November 12.

The Cougars' roster features just one player from the state of Illinois - Chicago native and Westinghouse High School product, Coreyoun Rushin.

Junior guard Brandon Betson, a transfer from Daytona State, leads the way for Chicago State and is contributing 20.0 points per game, while shooting 54.5 percent (6-for-11) from three-point land, through two contests. Freshman Jameon Harris is the only other Cougar in double figures at 10.0 ppg.

Up Next

Loyola closes out a four-game homestand Saturday (Nov. 20) when it hosts UIC at 3 p.m.