Loyola Men's Basketball vs. Bradley
There is perhaps no greater Cinderella story than that of now-Final Four contenders, Loyola University – Chicago. Given their proximity to the Rockford area as well, their wins hit just a bit closer to home. From their fantastic buzzer-beater to propel them into the tournament, to their perfect upsets over single-digit seeds, no other team has entertained in such a fairy tale fashion. And as with every fairy tale, we find our Fairy Godmother in America’s newfound sweetheart, LUC’s team chaplain, Sister Jean. Her prayers and guidance have made her everyone’s favorite ninety-eight year old basketball fan, and her stardom only increases as Loyola’s win streak continues. With Sister Jean and the basketball gods on their side, Loyola now takes their place as only the fourth 11-seed to play into a Final Four game.
Loyola’s Cinderella story has been a wild ride from start to finish. On March 15 – just the first day of the tourney, March Madness fans were treated to a buzzer beater of sheer perfection. Loyola hit an insane and perfect buzzer beater to lift them over Miami and continue to chase their tourney dreams. Rather than take their last timeout, they pressed hard back down the floor after a missed Miami free throw, passed the ball to Donte Ingram, who pulled up for a 30-foot, improbable, nonsensical three-point shot – that sealed Loyola’s ongoing fate with a swish.
In the second round, LUC faced their toughest opponent yet in 3-seeded Tennessee on March 17. Before tip-off Sister Jean offered her advice: “You’re good jumpers, you’re good rebounders, you’re good at everything, and just keep that in mind.” In another incredible game-winning and game-ending shot, star guard Clayton Custer shot an off-balance mid-range jumper that took a bounce off the rim, shot up to kiss the top of the backboard, rattled against the rim, and eventually fell back through the net – giving Loyola a 63-62 lead with under four seconds left. Tennessee’s Jordan Bone shot a desperation three-pointer from off center of the key, only to see that shot bounce off the back of the rim, into the waiting arms of Loyola. True to Sister Jean’s words, Loyola finished the game with 27 rebounds to Tennessee’s 24 and a 50% field goal points to their 46%.
Continuing their already incredible run, Loyola found themselves in a Sweet 16 matchup against Nevada, the team that had just knocked off 2-seeded Cincinnati. On March 22, in their usual close and contested match ups, Loyola walked away with a win by just one point, ending in a 69-68 final. Loyola pulled ahead to a four-point lead with an icy dagger from Marques Townes with just over six seconds left. However, this wasn’t enough to completely seal a win, as Nevada had more than enough time to press back down the court and create some late-minute drama as Caleb Martin drained a three-pointer of his own to cut the lead to one. Loyola was able to successfully inbound the ball only to toss it up again in celebration for yet another game won. This upset was the game that broke Sister Jean’s bracket, but her Cinderella bracket – with Loyola winning it all – and those hopes and dreams are still very much alive.
Their latest win over Kansas State shows LUC as legitimate contenders. In their first three games, they’ve won by only four combined points. They showed out against KSU, paving their way to the Final Four with a score of 78-62, their largest win of the tournament. This cement win offered some respite from the heart-stopping games fans had endured for the entirety of the tournament up to March 24. Loyola led for the most of the game, storming to a 54-33 lead just seven minutes into the second half. The Ramblers now are poised to face Michigan for a chance at the national title game this Saturday, March 31.
With Sister Jean awaiting the game in San Antonio, this international sensation and her beloved Ramblers are aiming to take a title home the title for the first time in 55 years.
Editor’s Note: The Rambler Mascot image is under Public Domain, and the Loyola commemmerative plaque was captured by Amerique and is under the CC BY 3.0 License.
