CHICAGO – Loyola Chicago pulled off its largest margin of victory win in Atlantic 10 play against George Mason Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd. Twelve Ramblers scored in the 80-57 win. Philip Alston and Braden Norris led the efforts with 10 points each.
 
With the win, Loyola remains in first place in the A-10 standings, improving to 20-7 overall and 12-2 in conference play.

"I thought today was awesome. The fact that we had a sold out game with an atmosphere that does so much for our team was great," said head coach Drew Valentine. "Out team did a great job using that momentum and energy in a positive way. We were extremely intense and high energy. When there was time to make a big momentum play, we had better discipline than we've had in the past. I am really proud of our group and how far we've grown and how far we've come. Twenty wins is a huge benchmark, and we take pride in that."
 
How It Happened
The Ramblers used an early 7-2 run out of the gates with buckets inside from Philip Alston and Miles Rubin. Sheldon Edwards hit a three on the fast break for the five-point edge. George Mason responded with a 5-0 run, taking their first lead on a three at the 16-minute mark.
 
The Ramblers went on a 10-0 run, holding the Patriots without a basket for over six minutes. Rubin drove inside to regain the lead 13-11 by the 12-minute media. Des Watson's pull-up jumper capped the run and gave Loyola it's largest lead yet at eight with 8:21 to go.
 
Jayden Dawson scored five unanswered for Loyola's first double-digit lead of the game, while Braden Norris forced a steal to feed Tom Welch for a fast break slam and 13-point edge with 5:28 to play. The Ramblers scored their final four points of the half at the line and took a 41-27 lead into the halftime break.
 
The Ramblers were fearless to start the second, forcing four early GMU turnovers. Dawson and Alston capitalized on the mistakes with back-to-back buckets that resulted in an 19-2 run by Loyola.
 
Alston's three blew the lead open to 17 for Loyola just four minutes into the action, while Greg Dolan had two consecutive three-pointers for a 23-point advantage. The Ramblers hit a 30-point lead with Watson at the line at the 10-minute mark.

Loyola led by at least 20 for the remainder of the game. The Patriots scored the final five points of the game, but Loyola took its largest A-10 win yet, 80-59.
 
Inside the Box Score
- Alston recorded his 15^th double-digit effort of the year, while Norris tallied his 10^th.
- Rubin tied his career-high with three assists, while Norris set a new high with four steals.
- The win marks the second 20-win season under Valentine.
- Loyola had 21 first-half rebounds, which is more than their full game total (18) against George Mason on Feb. 7, 2024.
- The Ramblers finished with 24 assists, which are the most single-game assists in an A-10 match-up since joining the league.
- Loyola shot 56 percent from the field which is the best percentage in league play since joining the conference.
- This was the largest margin of victory in A-10 play this season for the Ramblers.
 
Up Next
The Ramblers split next week on the road and at home. They'll take a trip to St. Bonaventure to tipoff the week on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT.