Ramblers drop game to Tulsa: 3 Observations

In what turned out to be a tough result for the Loyola Ramblers, they fell to the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes by a score of 88-77. The Ramblers were unable to contend with a season-best shooting performance from Tulsa, snapping their three-game winning streak and falling to 5-4 on the year. Here are three observations from the loss:

Tulsa with their game of the year beyond the arc

Tulsa was guided by one of their best offensive performances of the season so far, converting from beyond the arc at an incredible rate. The Golden Hurricanes made their threes at a rate of 48.3 percent, highlighted by a 53.3 percent clip in the first half.

Tulsa finished the game with five players in double-digit points, with P.J. Haggerty, Keaston Willis, Jared Garcia, Tyshawn Archie, and Isaiah Barnes all joining in on the fun. It wasn’t really a bad shooting night from the Ramblers, but it is usually hard to win a game with five double-digit scorers on the other side.

Ramblers fail to convert on momentum

After falling behind by as much as 11 points in the first half, the Ramblers clawed their way back to just 3 points at halftime. Loyola was riding a hot streak at the half and was poised to keep things going and ultimately take the lead.

Things did not go according to plan, falling behind almost immediately at the start of the second half. A 45.2 percent field goal clip in the second half attempted to keep them in the game, but 14 turnovers in the half ultimately sealed the deal.

Jayden Dawson is going to be special

Jayden Dawson entered the game with 8 made three-pointers total so far. The sophomore came out matching his season total in one night, draining an absurd 8 treys to tie the program record.

The guard finished his game, leading all scorers with a career-high 26 points, pacing the Ramblers with 7 rebounds while also collecting 2 steals. 

The Ramblers now look to rebound on Saturday, taking on Goshen with a 5 p.m. tipoff on NBC Sports Chicago+.