The Loyola Chicago Ramblers destroyed the St. Bonaventure Bonnies 77-53 on Tuesday night in Chicago.
Four Rambler starters scored in double digits, led by guard Des Watson with 17. Melvin Council Jr. led the scoring for the Bonnies with 13.
A big reason for Loyola Chicago (14-8, 5-4 A-10) winning so commandingly was shooting percentage. They shot a staggering 59.6% from the field. St. Bonaventure (17-7, 5-6 A-10) only shot 38.5% from the field. Another massive reason for the blowout was rebounding. The Ramblers won the rebounding battle by 10.
Coming into the season, Bonnies’ coach Mark Schmidt said winning the rebounding battle every game would be a big part of team success this season. Similarly, Schmidt said if they out-rebounded their opponent by double digits each game, they’d have a great shot at winning.
If Tuesday’s performance indicated anything, it was that Schmidt was absolutely right in that statement. St. Bonaventure’s recent rough stretch has exposed a major flaw – rebounding. They consistently out-rebounded opponents during their unexpected hot start, but that advantage has disappeared.
Looking ahead for the Bonnies, they face George Washington (15-7, 4-5 A-10) at noon ET Sunday. The Revolutionaries, a supposed inferior team, should put them back on track, as ESPN currently gives them a 73.7% chance to win.
Loyola Chicago will travel to Pittsburgh to take on Duquesne (9-13, 4-5 A-10) as it looks to continue to gain momentum with the conference tournament looming in the distance.