Loyola-Chicago Basketball: How the Ramblers reached the Final Four

What was the highest point for Loyola-Chicago?

Keep in mind that the question pertained to the regular season since of course, this past weekend would normally be their best moment.

The Florida Gators were riding high after the PK80 Invitational, nearly beating top-ranked Duke and rising as high as No. 5 in the national rankings. But they fell to Florida State a few days later, before facing off against Loyola-Chicago.

The game was close the whole game, but the Ramblers were ultimately the ones in control. Their defense held Florida to just 2/19 shooting from deep, and no Gator reached double figures in scoring. And with Aundre Jackson‘s 23 points on 10/12 shooting, Loyola-Chicago pulled off the 65-59 upset in Gainesville.

The national narrative at the time was the demise of Florida, who was on a three-game losing streak after the loss. But little attention was paid to the emergence of the Ramblers on the national scene, who got the signature win they needed to at least have a shot with the Selection Committee.

That win also gave this team the confidence to beat other power conference teams when the time came. And based on the results coming up, I think it did the trick.