Loyola Chicago is gearing up to face No. 18 Saint Louis on Friday at Gentile Arena, marking the first of two matchups this season between the Ramblers and the Billikens. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 7:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN 2, featuring Mike Corey as the play-by-play commentator and John Giannini as the analyst. Fans can also tune in to the Rambler Sports Network, where Christian Thomas will provide analysis.
Loyola recently broke a nine-game losing streak against La Salle at home last week, securing a 71-61 victory. In this impressive win, all nine Ramblers contributed to the scoreboard, with four players reaching double figures. The performance was highlighted by 16 points from one player, who shot 5-8 from the field and 5-7 from the free-throw line. Other notable scorers included players who contributed 12, 11, and 10 points respectively.
A key player for Loyola, Rubin, closed out the week strong against Davidson by scoring 17 points with an efficient 8-11 shooting. His contributions also included seven rebounds and three blocks. During the season, Rubin has established himself among the Atlantic 10’s top players, ranking third in total rebounds with 190 and fourth in rebounds per game at 7.6. Additionally, he leads the league with 59 total blocks, coming in 11th nationally, and his 2.4 blocks per game places him second in the conference and 15th nationwide.
The first month of the year saw outstanding performances from both Rubin and his teammates. Rubin led Loyola with an average of 11.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game over nine games. Meanwhile, players like Amos, Ola-Joseph, and Anderson contributed significantly to the team’s scoring, with averages of 11.0, 10.7, and 10.1 points per game, respectively. Ola-Joseph particularly shone during this stretch, recording two games with 20 or more points.
Saint Louis arrives for Friday’s contest with an impressive season record of 23-1 and an unbeaten 11-0 in the A-10, fueled by a remarkable 17-game winning streak. The Billikens are known for their stout defense, holding opponents to a mere 36.4% shooting percentage and a mere 27% from three-point range, placing them among the top defensive teams in the nation. Furthermore, they rank highly in several other categories, including effective field goal percentage, fast break points, and scoring margin.
Robbie Avila stands out as SLU’s leading scorer, averaging 12.8 points per game and consistently contributing with at least 10 points in 14 games this season. He achieved a season-high of 22 points against George Washington. Trey Green complements their scoring, averaging 12.0 points per game while leading the A-10 with 3.13 three-pointers made per contest.
Head coach Josh Schertz, in his second year with the Billikens, has amassed an impressive record of 42-16. Historically, Loyola leads the rivalry with a 28-25 advantage over Saint Louis, having defeated the Billikens in last season’s A-10 tournament, 72-64.
This matchup promises to be an exciting and competitive game as both teams vie for supremacy in the A-10 conference. Fans can look forward to an intense battle on the court.