CHICAGO (February 28, 2023) - Loyola University Chicago closes out its home schedule on Wednesday, March 1 when the Ramblers play host to Rhode Island in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Tip-off inside Gentile Arena is set for 8:00 p.m. on CBS Sports Network, with Chris Lewis and BJ Taylor on the call. Wednesday's game can also be heard on the Rambler Sports Network, with Jeff Hagedorn and Christian Thomas calling the action live courtside. Wednesday will serve as Senior Night, with Bryce Golden and Jeameril Wilson being honored prior to tip-off.
 
Last Time Out
Philip Alston scored a team-high 15 points and was 1-of-4 Ramblers to score in double figures as Loyola dropped an 81-62 decision at Saint Louis. Ben Schwieger added 12 points to go along with seven rebounds, three assists and a block while Braden Norris and Tom Welch each scored 11 points. The Billikens used a 14-4 run to end the first half to secure a 16-point halftime lead and kept the Ramblers at distance over the final 20 minutes of action.
 
Scouting Rhode Island
Wednesday will be the first-ever meeting between Rhode Island and Loyola. Rhode Island enters Wednesday's game with an 8-20 record and a 4-12 mark in A10 play. The Rams have lost their last seven games by an average margin of 9.1 points per game.
 
Rode Island is led by Ishmael Leggett, who averages a team-leading 16.6 points per game while Brayon Freeman (14.3) and Jalen Carey (10.0) also average in double figures. As a team, the Rams rank second in the conference in free throw percentage, connecting at a 75.5% clip. Individually, Leggett leads the way with 137 made free throws this year, tops in the conference and 29th nationally. Rhode Island is the third-best rebounding team in the conference, bringing in 37.3 rebounds per game. Malik Martin leads the team with 6.4 rebounds per game, while Leggett (5.9) and Josaphat Bilau (5.8) average nearly six boards per contest.
 
Rhode Island is coached by Archie Miller, who is in his first season at the helm of the Rams. No stranger to the A10, Miller spent six seasons at Dayton, guiding the Flyers to two conference titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances before spending the last four seasons at Indiana.
 
Up Next
The Ramblers close out the regular season on the road, traveling to Philadelphia on Saturday, March 4 to take on LaSalle. Tip-off on ESPN+ is set for 1 p.m. (CT).