The Loyola Ramblers got the job done once again, moving to 8-2 in conference play (16-7 overall) as they defeated the George Mason Patriots by a score of 85-79. In what turned out to be a gritty game, the Ramblers stood tall and outlasted their opponent to extend their win streak to three games. Here are three observations from the win:
Sheldon’s big night
Despite his team’s recent success, Sheldon Edwards is a player who has struggled to find consistent playing time this season. That is, until his teammate Jayden Dawson went down with an ankle injury that thrusted Edwards into the starting lineup. It’s safe to say that he’s making the most of this stint, as he put together a career performance tonight.
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The senior led all scorers tonight with a career-high 27 points, dominating from beyond the arc at a 6-10 clip. Edwards also contributed with three rebounds and three assists.
Coming out strong for the second half
The Ramblers found themselves trailing by eight at the break, hampered by fouls and little momentum in the first half. However almost a completely different team came out for the new half, going on an immediate run to reclaim the lead.
The Ramblers outscored the Patriots by 14 points in the second half, shooting an absurd 71.4 percent from the field to surge to victory. Helping heavily was a matching 71.4 percent clip from three point range. Joining Edwards in double-digit scoring were the pair of Des Watson and Philip Alston, who each had 14 points while freshman Miles Rubin came through with 12 of his own.
Turnovers keep Patriots at bay
As the Ramblers began to pull away, what kept them ahead was their defensive prowess. Turnovers became a crucial number in the affair, this time with the Ramblers forcing the Patriots to cough up the ball several times.
The Patriots handed the ball over 17 times, with the Ramblers profiting for 19 points off of the turnover. Edwards had arguably one of his best defensive games as a Rambler to date, coming through for five steals to lead all players.
The Ramblers will continue their East Coast swing when they take on George Washington on Saturday, with a matinee tipoff beginning at 11 a.m. on ESPN+.