CHICAGO - Loyola Chicago heads west to the Acrisure Series in Palm Springs. Loyola will take on former MVC foe Northern Iowa on Tuesday at 3 p.m. CT. They will then see Tulsa or San Jose State on Wednesday at either 1 or 3:30 p.m. CT.
Tuesday's game will not be streamed. Wednesday's game will be on CBS Sports Network. The games can also be listened to Rambler Sports Network with
Scott Sudikoff (PXP) and Christian Thomas (Analyst).
RAMBLINGS
• Loyola looks to snap a five-game skid in Palm Springs this week. The Ramblers will play UNI Tuesday and either Tulsa or San Jose State on Wednesday before returning to Gentile in December.
• The Ramblers played one game last week at home against NIU.
Miles Rubin tied his season-high 16 points and seven rebounds to lead Loyola vs. the Huskies.
Deywilk Tavarez added 15 points to wrap up the double-figure performances.
•
Justin Moore tallied five assists in the loss. He has recorded five or more assists in four of the games this season. His season-high eight came against Mercyhurst.
• Rubin,
Alexander Richardson, and
Kymany Houinsou blocked two shots each vs. NIU, upping Loyola's average to 5.2 blocks per game.
• Loyola ranks fourth in the A-10 in blocks per game (5.2). Rubin's average of 3.0 moved up to the top spot on the individual leaderboards. He has 18 total on the season, which is sixth most nationally.
• Rubin broke the all-time block record vs. Colorado State. He needed three and got three to surpass Andre Moore (1984-87). Rubin and 177 career blocks and counting to set the new mark. He's currently on a 23-game streak with at least one block recorded.
• Moore, Rubin, and Tavarez lead Loyola with four games each with 10+ points scored. Moore has the only 20+ point outing. He dropped 25 vs. Mercyhurst. Rubin has a season-high 16 points three times, while Tavarez has a season-best 16 points two times.
• Head coach
Drew Valentine is in his fifth season at the helm. He has compiled a 84-56 overall record as head coach.
SCOUTING OPPONENTS
UNI is 5-0 heading into the week's tournament play. The Panthers picked up wins over CSUN, South Dakota State, Furman, NIU, and at UC Irvine in overtime. The first four opponents were held to 58 or less points. UNI has the country's eighth best scoring defense, holding its opponents to 59.0 points. Ben Jacobson is in his 20th season of head coaching. He has a 379-246 overall record.
Tulsa is 4-1 heading into the week. The Hurricane won its first three games before falling to Kansas State. Tulsa rebounded with a win over Austin Peay. The Hurricane are efficient on the offensive glass, averaging 14.0 offensive rebounds per game to rank 51st in the NCAA. Eric Konkol is in his fourth season at the helm. He holds a 38-61 record.
San Jose State sits a 2-3 overall and won its last two games against Bethesda and Southern U on its home court. The Warriors are efficient from the field, shooting 49.7 percent which ranks 54th in the NCAA. Colby Garland sits in the nation's top-50, shooting 63.1 percent from the field. Tim Miles has been leading SJSU for the last five seasons. He holds a 55-83 record.
