Few thought they would be here, but the Loyola Ramblers have reached 20-win territory after a dominant 80-59 win over George Mason. The Ramblers now extend their win streak to seven games as they continue to sit in first place in the Atlantic 10. Here are three observations from the win:
Team ball at its finest
The Ramblers have showcased their depth all season, and tonight was no different. In arguably one of the more balanced games they have played, Loyola featured 12 different scorers, with all 11 players that featured for more than five minutes reaching the score sheet.
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In terms of leaders, Braden Norris and Philip Alston were the only Ramblers to reach double-digits, each scoring ten points. Bench scoring continues to be a premium as well, with 39 of Loyola’s 80 points coming from non-starters.
Full-on domination across all categories
Pick any scoring category tonight and the chances are the Ramblers led it. Loyola dominated on all ends of the floor, taking the lead early in the first half and never looking back. As has been the standard this year, assists came at an incredible rate, with 24 assists coming off of 30 field goals.
Rebounds came at a premium as well, with the Ramblers topping the battle by a total of 35-31. The only statistic that left a little to be desired came from the free-throw line, with the Ramblers only converting at a 50 percent clip.
Tom Welch: Unsung Hero
Hidden in the box score was graduate student Tom Welch, who came on in the first half as Dame Adelekun and Miles Rubin found themselves in foul trouble. Welch did everything he was supposed to, delivering an incredible performance on both ends in just 11 minutes of action.
Welch delivered four points while also placing second on the team with 6 rebounds (half defensive and half offensive). He also contributed with three assists while delivering the maximum effort on defense.
The Ramblers now hit the road to take on St. Bonaventure on Tuesday, with tipoff slated for 6 p.m. on ESPN+.