Intro/History Between Teams:
Loyola’s matchup with George Washington on Saturday will mark their first game against each other in about 84 years.they last played each other in 1939, when the Ramblers won 44-33. I have a feeling that we won’t see quite that low of a scoring output in this matchup, but there should be some good defense played in this one. Loyola is 3-2 against the Colonials all time. Let’s see if Loyola can extend that all time winning record tonight.
Main Storyline For This Game:
Loyola needs to make a good showing in their first ever A10 game. After accepting an invite to the Atlantic 10 conference nearly 13 months ago, the time has finally come to play their first conference matchup. Both the Colonials and the Ramblers find themselves in a similar position as conference play starts. The Colonials are 6-7, whereas the Ramblers are 6-6. Both teams are uncomfortably in the middle of the standings. Saturday’s game marks a chance for both teams to make a great impression and start to right the ship. Loyola has won 3 of their last 4 games, and GW has lost 5 of their last 6 games.
Loyola needs to bounce back after a tough loss against Stanford in California. The Ramblers were playing without 3 of their role players: Dawson, Quinn, and Hutson. I’m hoping that those players are healthy and ready to go for this matchup. The Ramblers need the guard depth that Dawson and Quinn provide. I’m looking for Dawson to come back and make a big impact in this contest. On the other end the Colonials have had a really tough stretch of games. They also have dealt with some injury issues lately. Forward Ricky Lindo and Guard EJ Clark are both dealing with injuries that might hold them out of this contest. Although GW has one of the best scoring guards in the A10 in James Bishop, they are also pretty thin at the guard position. If they are without Clark or their leading rebounder Lindo, it will be tough to replace them in earnest.
Hot or Not and Whom to Watch:
HOT: Marquise Kennedy has continued to be incredibly efficient since the Texas A&M game. He has now shot 29-49 (59%) from the field and 14-23 (61%) from three point range. In his last 6 games, his assist to turnover ratio is 13 to 9. Anything near 2 assists to each turnover is a good number for a player like Kennedy who is not a pass-first guard. I’ve really been enjoying Kennedy’s all around game recently in addition to his scoring outburst against DePaul. He had an incredible final 10 minutes against Stanford that kept Loyola within a stone’s throw. He grabbed 8 boards in that game, which this team needs him to step up in that department. Kennedy’s great play can take a lot of pressure off his teammate, Braden Norris. We love to see his passion and fire too.
NOT: The Ramblers bench has been a real disappointment recently. In the last two games, the bench combined has averaged 5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1 assist. That production is not good enough. As Rambler fans we often talk about how much of a load Braden and Marqise are carrying playing some many minutes. I think the reason why they’ve been asked to do so much is because the bench has not been producing much at all as a unit. In my opinion Saint and Golden need to be better. I’d love to see a game where Saint focuses on rebounding or defensive intensity. For Bryce, I really would like him to stop shooting threes and play down low. I want to see him go to work down on the post. I’ve seen highlights of him at Butler with multiple effective post moves. I hope they go high and low post with Golden and Alston and let those two guys go to work a few possessions.
Game Time, Broadcast Info, Ticket Availability
Probable Starting Lineups:
Loyola
G: Braden Norris
G: Marquise Kennedy
F: Ben Schwieger
F: Phil Alston
C: Tom Welch
George Washington
G: Bishop IV
G: Clark (Ques.)
G: Adams
F: Lindo Jr. (Ques.)
C: Brown
Recently injured/unavailable:
George Washington: EJ Clark (leg), Ricky Lindo (head)
By The Numbers:
- Points Per Game
- Loyola: 67.6 points/game
- George Washington: 74.4 points/game
- Points Allowed Per Game
- Loyola: 67.6 points/game
- George Washington: 75.2 points/game
- Shoot more twos!
- Loyola: 57.5% on 2PFG (22nd in the country)
- George Washington: 59.2% on 2PFG (10th in the country)
