After an emotional victory against New Mexico State on Sunday, the Lobos now turn their attention to representing their conference in the Mountain West/Missouri Valley Challenge. Their opponent in the challenge this year is the Loyola Ramblers. No, not that Loyola, the other one. The one from Chicago. The Ramblers bring a solid, experienced team to town, so this will likely be the Lobos’ biggest test of the season.
Game Preview
Loyola is coming off of a season in which they went 24-13, thanks in large part to their strong performance in the CBI Tournament, which they ultimately won. They bring back quite a few of their players from that team, including six players who saw at least 10 starts last season. This year, they’ve played “two” regular season games, one against UTSA, which they won 76-64, and one against D-III Eureka, which they won 84-51.
So far this season, they’ve been led by junior guard Milton Doyle and senior guard Devon Turk. Doyle has averaged 19 points over the Ramblers two games while Turk has averaged 13.5. Both of them were proficient three point shooters last season and have not been shy shooting them this season, so the Lobos will need to make sure they don’t get many good looks. The Ramblers also start two other guards in senior Earl Patterson and sophomore Dante Ingram, both of which are also threats to score from range. Their lone starter in the post, senior Montel James, is only 6’7”, but appears to be effective in the post and a solid rebounder.
As you might expect from a team that starts four perimeter players and one post, Loyola is not a team with a lot of size, which should give the Lobos an advantage down low. However, they are a team that has quite a few talented guards, including some on the bench, so the Lobo backcourt will have its hands full tonight. It will be important for them to take care of the ball and guard the perimeter if the Lobos are going to come away with a victory.
Scattered Thoughts
- The Lobos are a little banged up after the NMSU game, including the injury to Devon Williams. The severity of that injury hasn’t been determined yet, but it’s a good sign that he has been walking around, even if it’s with a neck brace. Hopefully he’ll be able to make a speedy recovery. In his presser, Noodles mentioned that Sam Logwood twisted his ankle on Sunday, but should be good to go. Assuming that he’s full speed, the matchup between him and Dante Ingram will be an interesting one to watch on the wing.
- With another undersized team coming in, this seems like the sort of game where Noodles might turn to putting Tim Williams and Joe Furstinger on the court together (with Devon unavailable), or potentially try a four-guard lineup. It would be good to see them take advantage of their size in the post, but so far Tim Williams has been the only one that has really shown that ability.
- The duo of Cullen Neal and Elijah Brown has been en fuego so far this season, averaging a combined 43.5 ppg, 8 rbg, and 7 apg. On top of everything else that they’ve been doing well so far, they’ve combined to go 23 of 25 from the free throw line, good for 92%. Having two guys who can handle the ball at the end of the game and are money shooting free throws could be a somewhat overlooked advantage that the Lobos have this year in close games.
Prediction
I think that Loyola provides a tough challenge for the Lobos, especially this early in the season, and there’s certainly a chance that they come in and shoot the Lobos out of the gym. However, the Lobos have been good at perimeter defense so far this season and I think that they have the athletes to keep the Ramblers in check from deep. It will probably be a close game, but I still like the Lobos to win this one. I’ll take the Lobos to walk out with a 72-67 victory.
Game Info
Who: New Mexico Lobos (2-0) vs. Loyola Chicago Ramblers (2-0)
Where: The Pit, Albuquerque, NM
When: Wednesday, November 18th at 7pm MT
Radio: 770 KOB
TV: Root Sports