CHICAGO - Loyola Chicago takes its first Atlantic 10 road trip of the season with a two-game swing in Philadelphia. The Ramblers will take on La Salle Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. CT. Both teams are in search for their first conference wins after dropping the openers.

Wednesday's game can be watched on ESPN+ and can be listened to Rambler Sports Network with Scott Sudikoff (PXP) and Christian Thomas (Analyst).

RAMBLINGS
• Loyola heads out for a pair of games in Philadelphia this week, opening at La Salle on Wednesday. The Ramblers will be at Saint Joseph's Saturday to wrap up the action.
• The Ramblers dropped their A-10 opener to VCU, 84-65. Despite a three-point lead at the half, Loyola saw a scoreless stretch in the second that helped the Rams take control for the win. It snapped a 15-game home win streak.
• Des Watson dropped 20 points in the loss. He finished 8-of-1 from the field and 4-of-9 from three. It marks the second 20-point performance for the senior guard this season.
• Jayden Dawson made his return from an ankle injury in early December. He had 10 in the game as the only other Rambler in double-figures.
• Sheldon Edwards Jr. scored his 1,000th career point against VCU. On a three in the second half, he eclipsed the mark. He currently has 417 points in the Maroon & Gold.
• The three-pointer extends Edwards Jr.'s streak to at least one three made in every game this season. He ranks fourth in the A-10 with 2.8 threes made per game, which sits 74th in the NCAA.
• In Hawaii, Loyola played three games in the Diamond Head Classic. During that stretch, Miles Rubin found his offensive stride, averaging 15.7 ppg on 87 percent from the field.
• Rubin had his first career game with at least 20 points score, netting a career-best 21 against Oakland. He was 9-of-11 from the field.
• After his record breaking season last year, Rubin has nine game this season with at least two blocks. He recorded a season-high five against San Francisco.
• In the league, Rubin ranks second in blocks per game (2.2) and third in total blocks (18). He sits 17th and 18th in the NCAA, respectively.
• Head coach Drew Valentine is in his fourth season at the helm. He has compiled a 67-43 overall record as head coach.

SCOUTING LA SALLE
La Salle enters the week at 8-6 overall an 0-1 in A-10 play. The Explorers opened the year on a four-game win streak and have yet to drop a game on their home court this season. La Salle fell in its first conference game to Dayton last week, 84-70. Despite the loss, the Explorers still have the third best offense in the league, averaging 78.1 points per game.

Corey McKeithan leads the Explorers, scoring 16.9 points per game on 44 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three-point range. He ranks eighth in the A-10 in scoring average. McKeithan has 11 double-figure scoring efforts, including four 20-point outings. He dropped a season-high 28 points vs. Temple.

Head coach Fran Dunphy is in his third season as head coach. He has a 39-42 overall record with the Explorers, while his 33-year career has eclipsed the 600-win mark.

SERIES HISTORY
La Salle leads the all-time series, 5-2. Last season, the Ramblers clinched a share of the regular season title with a 64-54 win over the Explorers. Four Ramblers scored double-figures, including 11 points from Des Watson and 10 from Miles Rubin.