CHICAGO (December 6, 2021) - Coming off of a 68-64 victory over city rival DePaul on Saturday, Loyola returns to Gentile Arena to face NAIA foe, Roosevelt, Tuesday night. The Ramblers have won 27 consecutive games on their home floor, which is the fifth-longest, active streak in the country. This season, the Ramblers are 3-0 versus teams from the city limits and boast wins over Chicago State, UIC and DePaul. 
 
A victory over Roosevelt would give the Ramblers their seventh 8-2 or better start to a season since the turn of the century and their first since winning nine of the first 10 outings of the 2017-18 campaign.
 
The Ramblers have fared quite well against local competition and bring a 15-game win streak versus Chicagoland area foes into Tuesday's game with Roosevelt. The last time Loyola lost to a Chicago area opponent was a 61-59 decision at UIC on January 16, 2013. Taking it further, Loyola has not fallen to a Chicagoland opponent at Gentile Arena since a 69-58 loss to DePaul on December 7, 2011.
 
Loyola has won 12 of its last 13 home nonconference contests, including each of the last eight, since a 59-56 loss to Davidson on December 22, 2019.
 
Loyola – Roosevelt – The Series
Tuesday's game will be the first meeting between Loyola and Roosevelt.
 
Loyola has won 15 straight regular-season contests versus non-NCAA Division I opponents since suffering an 86-79 setback to Rockhurst on November 14, 2008.
 
The Ramblers are 10-3 all time versus current members of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) and have won six straight matchups with CCAC foes since a 35-25 loss to St. Ambrose on February 14, 1935.
 
In its last meeting with a CCAC opponent, Loyola drilled St. Francis (Ill.), 92-55, on December 22, 2020, behind 17 points from Tom Welch and 15 from Jacob Hutson, as the Ramblers shot a scalding 68.8 percent (33-for-48) from the field.
 
Scouting Roosevelt
Roosevelt has had a busy start to December and Tuesday's game will be its fourth in seven days to open the month. The Lakers are riding a three-game win streak into Tuesday night's showdown at Gentile Arena and are coming off a 64-61 victory against Governors State on December 4.
 
Four of Roosevelt's seven wins have come by nine or fewer points and the Lakers are 3-2 in true road tilts in 2020-21. Roosevelt prevailed in its last outing away from home, disposing of Holy Cross College, 64-57, in Notre Dame, Ind., on December 1.
 
Junior guard Josh Redic is the lone Laker to average double digits in scoring and enters the week with a team-best 13.8 points per game. Senior forward Ayomide Ajiboye contributes 9.2 ppg and 5.8 rpg, while sinking 54.4 percent (36-for-66) of his field goal attempts.
 
Like Loyola head coach Drew Valentine, Roosevelt head coach Joe Griffin also had a stint as a graduate assistant at Michigan State under Tom Izzo, from 2006-08. 
 
Up Next
Loyola looks for another win versus a Power 5 opponent when it travels to Vanderbilt Friday night (Dec. 10).