Loyola Ramblers Preview – https://loyolaramblers.com/news/2025/1/ ... lphia.aspx

La Salle Stats and Intel - https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/sc ... /2025.html

Record: 8-6 (0-1, 12th in A-10 MBB)
Coach: Fran Dunphy
PS/G: 78.1 (115th of 364)
PA/G: 74.1 (258th of 364)
SRS: -0.48 (157th of 364)
SOS: -0.09 (164th of 364)
ORtg: 107.7 (197th of 364)
DRtg: 102.2 (187th of 364)


Loyola Chicago Ramblers (9-5, 0-1 A-10) at La Salle Explorers (8-6, 0-1 A-10)

Philadelphia, PA; Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. CST at John Glaser Arena

Losers of 5 of their last 6 games, at an inopportune time Loyola Chicago hits the road to Philadelphia, PA for a challenging 2-game stretch at La Salle followed by Saint Joe’s. The Road Dawgs have not traveled well this season, winning only 1 away game / true road game thus far (at Princeton) and losing 4 others if we count Milwaukee (1) and Hawaii (3). Loyola looks to quickly rebound and turn its season’s fortunes around after a VCU ass-whooping on Saturday while La Salle seeks its first conference victory of the season – last playing @ Dayton on December 31st and losing 84-70.

In the last meeting with La Salle on March 09, 2024, Loyola was victorious at home with a packed arena on senior day, winning 64-54 and securing a share of the 2023-24 Atlantic 10 Regular Season title. In the all-time series match-up between both schools since their first meeting in 1993, La Salle has won 5 times, and Loyola has won twice.

La Salle returns only 36.7% of its scoring from the 2023-24 roster that finished 16-17 (6-12). Gone are 4 starters who’ve transferred to other programs, leading scorers Khalil Brantley (Oklahoma State) and Jhamir Brickus (Villanova), Rokas Jocius (UCF), and Anwar Gill (Howard).

Projected in the preseason to finish last in the A10, don’t overlook the experience and smarts of legendary coach, Fran Dunphy. There is no way this La Salle squad finishes last. Dunphy’s brought in a fresh roster of valuable high-major transfers and newcomers led by upperclassmen senior guards Corey McKeithan (16.9ppg) and Jhalil White (9.9ppg), junior F/C Demetrius Lilley (8.1ppg 6.9rpg), sophomore Eric Acker (12.8ppg, 3.0apg), and freshman guard Deuce Jones (9.7ppg). Only one starter from its 2023-24 roster returned, Daeshon Shepherd, who in his fourth season with the Explorers is second in the team in scoring at 11.6ppg. If it’s worth noting, Acker was an NEC All-Freshman selection averaging 12.7 PPG and 3.8 APG in 2023-24, and Demetrius Lilley transferred over after 2 seasons at Penn State.

Acker, who sat out the first 10 games of the season, might be the guy we need to especially watch. Last two games, he is averaging 16.0 points and 4.5 assists coming off the bench.

La Salle has yet to lose a game in the newly renovated and beautiful John Glaser Arena, with a perfect 6-0 record. The Explorers are a very good rebounding team (a stat we are greatly struggling in this year), presently ranking second in the A10 at under 40 boards per game. La Salle is also explosive on the offensive end too, third in A10 scoring at 78.1ppg and overall pace of play.

La Salle will most likely run a starting lineup of 6-2 guard Deuce Jones, 6-10 F/C Demetrius Lilley, 5-10 guard Corey McKeithan, 6-5 guard Daeshon Shepherd, and 6-7 guard Jahlil White.


LAST 10 GAMES FOR BOTH SQUADS:

La Salle: 4-6, averaging 78.3 points, 35.3 rebounds, 13.0 assists, 7.7 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 43.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 78.1 points per game.

Loyola: 5-5 (1-4 last 5 games), averaging 72.5 points, 30.3 rebounds, 15.7 assists, 6.0 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 69.1 points.



Watch / Listen – Wednesday’s game will be broadcast on ESPN+, and can be listened to Rambler Sports Network with our friends Sudikoff and CT.

Postgame Show - Tune in to Sudikoff on RSN, followed by TalkinBlers Spaces on the X: https://x.com/blerstalking?s=21


Odds: Loyola -2

Snowed out?

My go to weather guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xH9R1IjfgY

Thanks, Ragas! Hope we brought our hard hats.

_________________
MBB Scholarship Chart

Great to get a win


Team
FG 48%
FT 78% , finally
3pt 43%

6 Ramblers 6 pts or better, spreading the scoring again, good!

So the team was much better at shooting tonight and JD is back with good production. Takes the heat off of Des. JD 31 minutes, Des 34.

JD and Sheldon 20 pts each and both 100% from the line. JD 3-5 from 3, Sheldon 4-7 from 3.
Deloach good, 2 steals and 12 pts (really need production from “JJ”)

Not exactly a Quad 1 win but a win is a win.
Let’s go get them Hawks from St Joes!

Did some stats counting during the game and we are 10-2 on the season when we get 3 to 4 of our guys going in double figures scoring. This needs to become a team goal every game, if it isn’t one of them already. Love sharing the wealth.

Excellent contributions JQ and DeLoach. This was DeLoach’s best game with us so far I thought.

Only thing or two I do want to critique on -

16-2 run after being down 7-3 early. Drew with a hockey sub and that ended our run to bury these guys early.

Des needs to stop standing with the ball at top of the key. It’s like it makes everyone else stand around also. What is the logic behind this?

No more threes from Nwaokorie. Not his spots.

After a night of A10 chaos, with Bonnies losing, Dayton losing, Saint Joes losing, Rhode Island Losing, a 2-0 road trip by late Saturday afternoon would be most excellent and have us positioned well and feeling very good about Rhody and Dayton next week.

Nwaokorie is shooting like 42% from 3 so far this year, if anything he should be shooting more. Agree with you other points though.

One interesting wrinkle -- down the stretch in the second half, when it looked like we might be hitting another 2nd half tailspin, we went to smallball lineups for the last 10 minutes or so and it seemed to really open up the offense.

Winning on the road is hard. Winning on the road in conference is even harder. This was a very good win, even if LaSalle isn't very good. Big bounceback after the VCU collapse. Let's get another road win Saturday and then we go.

We will take the win. The bottom line is simple. We made FREE THROWS. Had we been shooting them like this, we would not have lost 5 or our last 6. The game is not as hard as we make it on ourselves.

Ramblers are 29-8 the last 2 seasons when 3 players score in double-figures (10-4 this season)
12-1 when 4 players score 10+ (7-0 this season)
25-6 when leading at halftime (9-3 this season)
18-4 with 10+ second-chance points (8-2 this season)
19-2 when opponent shoots under 40% (3-0 this season - LaSalle ended up at 40.9%)
23-1 when allowing under 70 points (7-0 this season)
28-3 when scoring 70+ (10-1 this season)

Francis was 46% from 3PT entering the game last night.

Also as I mentioned on the broadcast, 78.3% FT best mark of the season.
77.8% vs Detroit Mercy (21-27)
72.7% vs Southern Utah (16-22)
72.4% vs Chicago State (21-29)

9-4 in true road games the last 2 seasons isn't too bad especially since it is wins in 9 of the last 11.
[I guess 9-5, and 9 of 12 if we count the NIT]