Friday, March 8, 2019 12:00 p.m.
Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Mo.

For the second straight year, the Loyola Ramblers are the #1 seed at Arch Madness. The Ramblers are 6-4 all time in the conference tournament since joining the league in 2013. Loyola has had seedings of 10, 6, 8, 5, 1, and 1 in St. Louis, which trackss the rise of the program from a source of ridicule for many old-guard MVC fans to the most prominent and nationally-respected program in the league. The Ramblers will face Valparaiso, who won the first game of the tournament on Thursday over Indiana State, 77-55.

Number one seeds have never lost their first game at Arch Madness, but if ever there was a year it could happen, this might be it. There has never been a top seed in the MVC with six league losses, and Valpo is no slouch. The Crusaders lost six of their last seven league games, but smashed Indiana State by 22 points, led by Marcus Golder’s career-high tying 18 points. Former Loyola recruit Javon Freeman added 17 points, seven rebounds and three steals for Valpo. The Crusaders made only seven turnovers and took 27 trips to the free throw line, making 22 of them.

Valpo played two hard-fought games against the Ramblers this season, losing at Gentile Arena 71-54 and in Valparaiso by 56-51. In the first game, Valpo surged out to a lead before the Ramblers shut them down forcefully. The Crusaders creeped back into the game late after they played stronger defense and used a full-court press against the Ramblers, but Loyola held on for the 17-point win. In Northwest Indiana, Valpo had a nine-point lead with seven minutes left in that game, but the Ramblers closed it out with a 22-8 run down the stretch.

Coach Matt Lottich has shaken up the Crusaders’ starting lineup, choosing to bring in 7’1” Derrik Smits off the bench over the past few games while starting his other 7-footer Jaume Sorolla. Loyola will be playing with Lucas Williamson in the starting lineup for only the third time since returning from injury. Wiilliamson had 11 points in the first matchup with Valpo at Gentile Arena, one of six Loyola players in double figures in the first game against Valpo. Williamson has averaged of 11.5 points, five rebounds and four steals per game since returning to the starting lineup.

The Ramblers are 4-0 against Valpo since the Crusaders joined the MVC, and 38-15 against Valpo since the two teams started playing each other in the 1920s. Valpo will be more fatigued than Loyola, playing their second season-ending game in the span of 20 hours; in spite of winning by 22 points, four Valpo players saw more than 30 minutes of action on Thursday evening.

Loyola game notes: https://loyolaramblers.com/documents/20 ... df?id=8411

Valpo game notes: Pending

TV/Streaming Video: ESPN+ http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/2c83edd0 ... tournament

Live stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=251340

Vegas odds: Loyola by 5

I actually thought Valpo would be the team to give us a hard time in the tournament, I hope I'm wrong. They have a lot of long athletic boys and they have springs on their shoes. They are a better team than what they have showed during ther season.

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#PROUDMOM

I agree.....I would much rather have faced InSU.......Last time they did not double Krutwig at all giving us fits .....

I was hoping for Indiana State as well, as I thought we handled them well in the regular season in both matchups, and I'm not a huge fan of Krut having to go up against two 7-footers....

That being said -- We found ways to win in our previous two meetings at Valpo (and every time we've played them in the Valley since they got here). I'm just glad we have Williamson back for this one. Noon can't come fast enough!

I agree, I was hoping for Indiana State. Actually, I was hoping InSU would pull out the win in a nail biting 4 OT game. But, it is what it is. Valpo is the tougher matchup, but I think we have a few things going for us:

1) Valpo will be on the court for the second time in a span of about 16 hours since their last game ended. That can’t be easy.

2) Most important, I think we’re the better team. Play the way we’re capable of playing, and we’ll be ok.

Hey there Ramblers. Long time since I posted here, but I just published a new feature on Loyola for College Insider. It's on the challenges of repeating as conference champions, and how the program has grown to a point where even in a "disappointing" season they still won the league title. Here it is if you need some pregame reading! http://www.collegeinsider.com/page/65/following_final_four_run_loyola_chicago_learned_how_to_sustain_success-

Think we are in for a close one. Hope we can pull away a bit in the second half taking advantage of Valpo's tired legs. But they play good defense and remind me of the UNI team we face in last year's quarters. Need to limit their big men and get out inside-outside game going.

I am not too concerned who our opponent is, I think we can beat every team in the Valley. With that said, I think we could get beat by every team in the Valley. We need to execute and play as well as we can and we can win the tournament.

I am impressed that this team won the Valley again. Mostly, I feel relief. There has been so much pressure on the team to perform as well as last year's team. The expectations have been huge. The players have been under a microscope. I am sure the returning players have wanted to fast forward to this point and haven't been able to enjoy the journey. I know they have been waiting for it and so am I. I hope they can play as well as we know they can. If so, we will win. Onward LU.

I logged into my computer just now and it ESPN+ said the game is blocked out in this area, so I went to CBS Sportsline and they said ithe game is not available on this platform?? WTF. If I have no access to broadcast tv , any ideas?

It must be blacked out on ESPN+ in Chicagoloand, I cant find it either