CHICAGO - After a 2-0 road trip, the Ramblers return to Gentile Arena on a four-game win streak Wednesday night. Loyola Chicago and Saint Joseph's tipoff for the second time this season at 7 p.m. as the Ramblers look to sweep the regular season series against the Hawks.
Wednesday's game can be streamed on NBC Sports Chicago+ or be listened to on the Rambler Sports Network with Scott Sudikoff (PXP) and Christian Thomas (Analyst).
Quick Hits
• The Ramblers picked up two wins on the road last week at George Mason and George Washington. Loyola Chicago overcame a 12-point deficit against the Patriots before handing the Revolutionaries their seventh loss in league play.
• Leading the way in both games was
Sheldon Edwards. Edwards exploded for a career-high 27 points vs. George Mason. He connected on six three-pointers and tallied a career-high five steals. Edwards followed up with a team-high 18 points at GW.
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Des Watson extended his double-figure scoring streak to four games after two 14-point outings last week. Overall, Watson leads Loyola this season, averaging 13.3 points per game. In Atlantic 10 play, he averages 15.5 ppg, ranking ninth in the league.
• Also in double-figures at George Washington was
Dame Adelekun off the bench with 13, including three three-point plays to help secure the win in the final minutes.
Philip Alston finished with 10 points and eight boards.
• At George Mason, Loyola dropped a conference-play high 85 points. It was also the most the team has scored since Dec. 9 against Goshen. Four Ramblers scored double-figures in the win. Edwards' 27 points was a game-high, while Watson and Alston scored 14 each.
Miles Rubin added 12 points.
• Edwards became the sixth Rambler with a 20-point performance this year. Edwards,
Braden Norris, and Adelekun each have one,
Jayden Dawson has two, while Alston and Watson have three each.
• The Ramblers rewrote the single-season block record after blocking four shots at George Washington. Loyola currently has 116 blocks this season, surpassing the 1981-82 record of 114.
• Head coach
Drew Valentine is in his third season at the helm. He holds a 52-36 overall career record. He notched his 50th win over Davidson and became the ninth head coach in program history to achieve the milestone.
Scouting Saint Joseph's
The Hawks are 16-8 overall and 6-5 in A-10 play after winning three of their last four. Dayton handed Saint Joseph's a 94-79 loss before the Hawks rebounded with an 87-86 win over Saint Louis over the weekend. SJU averages 78.3 points per game, ranking third in the league.
Erik Reynolds II leads the Hawks with 17.1 points per game overall and in A-10 play, ranking sixth on both leaderboards. Dayton held Reynolds to just six points back on Feb. 6 before he rebounded with 11 against Saint Louis last weekend. He had a season-high 31 points (11-17 FG, 5-7 3PT, 5-7 FT) vs. Massachusetts.
Billy Lange is in his fifth season piloting the Hawks. They hold a 54-85 record during his tenure.
Series History
SJU leads the series 5-2. The Ramblers picked up a win on the road earlier this year, 78-75.
Jayden Dawson dropped 20 points for the second time this year to lead Loyola.
