Ramblers win in dogfight over Salukis: 3 Observations originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
While it wasn’t how they drew it up, the Loyola Ramblers triumphed over the Southern Illinois Salukis in a tight affair, taking the victory by a score of 44-39. The team battled throughout the whole game, taking the lead in the late stages. The Ramblers now move to 16-3 (7-1) on the season. Here are three observations from the win:
King of the caroms
Lucas Williamson made history earlier in the season, recording his 1000th career point in a win against Vanderbilt in December. He added to that history Thursday night with his 500th career rebound. He is just the twenty-third Rambler to reach this milestone and the first since former teammate Cameron Krutwig. Williamson came through for 5 points and 5 rebounds in Thursday night’s affair to bring his career totals to 1117 points and 503 rebounds.
Points at a premium
In their last matchup, the Rambler defense held the Salukis to a meager 17 points in the first half. Their defense carried over, this time holding them to 21 points. The Saluki defense was able to match their intensity, however, holding the Ramblers to 19 points, their first time not reaching 20 points in the first half since their Sweet Sixteen matchup against Oregon State.
The Ramblers showed potential with their ball movement, with senior Chris Knight scoring 8 points in the first half.
Saving their best for last
The Ramblers found themselves down by four with five minutes to go. A jumper from Williamson started the rally as Knight drew a shooting foul to tie the game. A clutch three pointer from Williamson put the Ramblers up by three.
The Salukis attempted to claw back, making it a one point game at one point but the Ramblers would not look back.
The Ramblers return to action on Sunday when they travel to Des Moines to take on conference rival Drake at 1pm on ESPN2
