Ramblers hold off Valparaiso in 2OT: 3 Observations

It wasn’t pretty, but the Loyola Ramblers took their twelfth win of the season on Tuesday night in gritty fashion by taking the Valparaiso Beacons to double overtime, where they eventually triumphed. With this win, the Ramblers extended their home winning streak to thirty games, good for the fifth-longest active streak in the nation. Here are three observations from the win:

Keeping up with tradition

Loyola  and Valparaiso have a history of close games at Gentile Arena, with games going down to the final possession in both of the previous two years. This game would prove no different as the game went to not one, but two overtime periods. After a sluggish start to the game, the Ramblers came out firing in the late stages of the second half to tie the game with seventeen seconds left, courtesy of two free throws by Braden Norris.

Determination pays off after a sluggish first half

The first half was one to forget for the Ramblers, as they battled to put up 22 points and were held to a 37.5 field goal percentage while never possessing a lead. Graduate student Tate Hall led the team at the half with 7 points but no other player had more than 5. The Ramblers never gave up, as they went toe-to-toe with the Beacons to win in the later stages of the game.

Nothin’ but Norris

Junior Braden Norris got off to a slow start in the first half, being limited to only 3 points. However, he came out firing in the second half and put the Ramblers on his shoulders in their comeback effort. He led the team with stellar performance in the overtime period by putting up a career high 23 points. While the Ramblers started off slowly in the overtime period, Norris’s four three pointers and a perfect six for six effort at the free throw line kept them in the game.

The Ramblers will look to continue their winning ways as they travel to Indiana to take on the Indiana State Sycamores on Saturday at 6 PM on CBS Sports Network.