CHICAGO – Loyola Chicago remains undefeated after beating Princeton on the road, 73-68. Jayden Dawson led all-scorers with 17 points, while Sheldon Edwards Jr., Miles Rubin, and Jalen DeLoach finished in double-figures. Rubin posted a double-double with 11 points and 13 boards.
 
With the win, Loyola sits at 4-0 this season.
 
"Today, Miles dominated this game. Jayden and Sheldon were awesome. DeLoach was great," said head coach Drew Valentine. "We've got 10 starters, and I have got to continue to find ways to get them all on the floor and trust them. I am pleased with this win and what we saw tonight. This is a big-time win, and we can't have any let up because we play a good Southern Utah team on Tuesday."
 
How It Happened
The Ramblers opened on a 7-0 run in the first two minutes capped with a three on the fast break by Edwards. Princeton took a timeout and responded with an 8-0 run out of the break for its first lead of the game. The remainder of the game went back and forth and saw 10 ties and 16 lead changes. Dawson began to heat up from three with two straight for the Ramblers, taking a 21-18 lead at the midway point.
 
Malik Abdullahi scored six straight points for another Princeton lead as the Tigers went up 30-25 with 6:21 to play. The Ramblers didn't falter, responding with a 9-0 run. Dawson drained a three in transition to capitalize on momentum and forced a Princeton timeout. Loyola gained a four-point gap during the stretch, and despite a tie from the Tigers with 2:25 on the clock, Loyola took a 43-38 lead into halftime.
 
Dawson stayed hot to start the second half with a three for the Ramblers. It put Loyola up eight for the largest lead by either team. Dalen Davis answered with back-to-back threes for the Tigers, cutting the lead down to one at 15:07. It sparked a 10-0 run that was capped by Jackson Hicke's for a 51-48 Tiger lead. Loyola followed up with eight of its own unanswered points. Edwards connected from deep, while the Ramblers tool a 58-52 edge ahead of the nine-minute mark.
 
Loyola couldn't shake Princeton who fought back for another tie and lead with a fast break three and dunk off Rambler turnovers with under five to go. Edwards erased Princeton's progress with a three. The Tigers tied the game twice and regained a two-point advantage with a tip-in at the 1:41 mark. Dawson sunk another three, while Rubin laid one in and executed defensively on the other end with a block to keep Loyola's lead at three. Edwards battled for an offensive board to keep possession in the final seconds. He put two away at the line to seal the 73-68 win.
 
Inside the Box Score
- Dawson finished 6-of-11 from the field and 5-of-10 from three-point range for his 17 points. He added a rebound, one steal, and three blocks.
- Edwards Jr. went 4-of-11 from the field with three from deep. He recorded two boards and one assist.
- Rubin's double-double was the second of his career. The 13 boards were a career-best, which included six on the offensive glass. He also blocked four shots.
- Off the bench, DeLoach added 10 points on 5-of-7 from the field. He tallied four boards.
- Kymany Houinsou grabbed nine rebounds and finished with seven points.
- Justin Moore dished out a team-best six assists.
- Loyola led in rebounding, 43-32. The Ramblers also dominated the offensive glass, 12-4.
- The Ramblers combined for nine blocks.
 
Up Next
Loyola returns home to play Southern Utah on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Gentile Arena.