CHICAGO – Sheldon Edwards Jr. dropped a season-high 22 points (8-15 FG, 6-13 3PT) Wednesday night, helping Loyola Chicago to a 72-60 victory over Canisius. It marked a season-high for Edwards Jr. and his first 20-point performance of the season.
 
With the win, the Ramblers sit a 9-1 overall.
 
"We bounced back with a win tonight, and I am proud of our guys for stepping up after the last few days," said head coach Drew Valentine. "We've got to be better on defensive and our bigs weren't great today. JQ and Francis really stepped up and made the most of the opportunity tonight. Time to focus on Diamond Head and take each game as it comes."
 
How It Happened
Both teams opened with three-pointers Wednesday night, and Canisius took an early 6-3 edge with two put away by Tana Kopa. The Ramblers responded with a 15-2 run over the next five minutes. On the final 10 unanswered points by Loyola, three different Ramblers stepped up, including a three from Daniil Glazkov for a 10-point lead.
 
The Golden Griffins were able to cut the Rambler lead down to three by the 7:20 mark with a 6-0 run, all scored by Paul McMillan IV. Loyola regained a double-digit lead with 10 straight points. Francis Nwaokorie made Canisius pay two turnovers, including a dunk that pushed the lead to the largest yet at 12 with just under a minute to go. The Ramblers took a 36-26 edge into the break.
 
Both teams traded threes to open the second half, and the Griffins were able to cut Loyola's lead down to five in the first few minutes. The Ramblers rallied with seven straight on a three from Watson. He fed Edwards Jr. on an alley oop two minutes later to cap the run. The Ramblers then took their largest lead yet at 13 on a corner three by Nwaokorie at the 12:29 mark.
 
Canisius couldn't get the lead below eight as Loyola always had an answer. Edwards Jr. made back-to-back corner threes for the Ramblers at the 5:28 and 4:40 marks, widening the gap to 14. His threes sparked a 12-0 run closed by Jalen Quinn on a drive for a 20-point edge with just under 2:30 to play. Loyola held on for the double-figure win, 72-60.
 
Inside the Box Score
- Edwards Jr. is the third Ramblers to record a 20-point performance this season. It's also his third career-game with 20+ points.
- Watson added 15 points, while Quinn scored 10. Watson extends his double-figure scoring streak to six straight games.
- Loyola dominated the glass, out rebounding Canisius, 37-25.
- Jalen DeLoach tied his season-high eight rebounds. Nwaokorie tied him with eight and also scored nine points.
- The Ramblers assisted on 20 of their 29 makes. Watson and Quinn had six assists each, while Edwards Jr. added four. All three had season-highs.
 
Up Next
The Ramblers head to Hawaii to play in the Diamond Head Classic over Christmas. Loyola and Oakland meet in the opening round at 4 p.m. CT on Dec. 22.