The Loyola Ramblers extended their conference winning streak to four games today, taking victory over the George Washington Revolutionaries by a score of 81-73. The win gives them 9 victories on the conference slate (9-2 overall) and places them only one game out of first place. Here are three observations from the game:
Ramblers overcome blown lead
Loyola opened the game quite strong, leading by as much as 10 points in the first half and taking an eight-point lead into the break. The second half presented some difficulties, as the Revolutionaries clawed back and eventually erased the deficit to pull as far as seven points ahead of the Ramblers.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
As the Ramblers worked to respond, Loyola’s “Breakfast Club” came through in force, remaining calm to hit their free throws when it counted, responding with a respectable 85.7 percent from the line.
Keeping it clean when it mattered
After a rough first season in the A10, head coach Drew Valentine has finally gotten his offense to click. One of the the key reasons for this success is a major decrease in turnovers, as the Ramblers turn the ball over at a much lower rate compared to last season’s 15 turnovers per game.
The Ramblers rarely allowed GW a chance to capitalize on mistakes, as they only gave the ball away eight times. This is the first time the Ramblers have had two games in a row with ten or less turnovers after giving up only six in the previous game.
Second chance points? No thanks!
It was a relatively clean game overall for the Ramblers, as despite the slow run in the second half, the Ramblers did well to make sure GW didn’t pull away too far. Rebounds played a key role in today’s affair.
The Ramblers tied their season-high in rebounds today, bringing home 45 boards opposed to GW’s 38. As a result, the Revolutionaries were only able to convert for 8 points off second chances, with Philip Alston leading the way with 8.
The Ramblers now return home on Wednesday for a Valentine’s Day rematch against Saint Joseph’s at 7 p.m. on NBC Sports Chicago.