Loyola Basketball Team
- Details
- Category: Latest News
- May, 2018
It was a Cinderella story that no one expected, but that everyone loved. While the Loyola Ramblers did not make it all the way to the National Championship, they got much further than anyone ever expected. Fans in Rogers Park and throughout the Chicago region were on the edge of their seats for most of the month of March as the playoffs progressed. It also put Sister Jean, the team chaplain, in the national spotlight. How can you not love a basketball-crazy, 96-year-old nun who both inspired and motivated the players? It was an amazing story from start to finish.
The fact is, it was a surprise to see Loyola in the March Madness tournament to begin with. They had not been in the national playoffs since 1963. Once in the running, few predicted that they would get past the early rounds. But Loyola surprised everyone with a series of wins that took them all the way to the semi-finals. During the first half of the semi-final game against the University of Michigan, it actually looked like they were going to make it all the way to the final round. But it was not to be. Michigan surged in the second half, taking the lead and winning the game.
While the loss was a disappointment, the overall performance of the team and their unlikely success was anything but. Now the big question is, can Loyola do it again and become a regular fixture in the March Madness tournament? If nothing else, a lot more people know about Loyola University today than just a few months ago. In the long run, that can only benefit the institution and the neighborhood of which Loyola is such an important part.
