CHICAGO (December 2, 2022) - Fresh off a resounding victory on Wednesday night, Loyola University Chicago (3-4) will look to keep momentum rolling on Saturday afternoon when it welcomes city-rival DePaul to a sold-out Gentile Arena for a 3 p.m. tip-off. Saturday's matchup will be televised locally on NBC Sports Chicago.
Last Time Out
Loyola shot a blistering 54 percent from the field and 52 percent from three-point land as it fired on all cylinders in an 85-70 victory over Central Arkansas on Wednesday night.
Ben Schwieger erupted for a career-high 26 points to lead a quartet of Ramblers in double figures that also included
Braden Norris (19 points),
Philip Alston (14 points), and
Marquise Kennedy (13 points).
Loyola/DePaul – The Series
Saturday's matchup at Gentile Arena will mark the 48th installment of the rivalry between Loyola and DePaul, a series which dates back to an 18-15 Rambler victory back on February 7, 1923. The Blue Demons hold a 38-19 edge in the all-time series and a 11-6 mark when visiting Rogers Park. DePaul's last trip north resulted in a 69-58 victory on December 7, 2011.
Loyola has begun to turn the tide as of late, prevailing in each of the last two meetings. When the two city rivals ended a nine-year hiatus in the series last season at Wintrust Arena, Lucas Williamson scored a team-high 15 points as the Maroon & Gold held off a DePaul rally to pick up a 68-64 win.
Scouting DePaul
DePaul outlasted Samford in overtime on Wednesday night at Wintrust Arena, snapping a three-game skid with a 103-98 triumph that saw second-year head coach Tony Stubblefield's team climb back above the .500 mark at 4-3.
After finishing 15-16 (6-14 BIG EAST) a year ago, the Blue Demons were tabbed 11th in the BIG EAST Conference Preseason Poll. Like the Ramblers, DePaul features a bevy of new faces, with seven newcomers on the roster.
Stubblefield's crew has been led by the pairing of Javan Johnson and Umoja Gibson. A graduate transfer from Iowa State, Johnson, who leads the team in scoring (17.1 ppg), has scored in double figures in all seven games this season, highlighted by a 28-point outburst against Samford earlier in the week. Gibson, who arrived in Lincoln Park by way of Oklahoma, has also cracked the 10-point mark in all seven of his outings, including a 24-point showing in a win over Western Illinois.
Up Next
Loyola's wraps up a three-game homestand on Tuesday, December 6 when it battles former Horizon League foe Green Bay at 7 p.m.
