INDIANAPOLIS – Loyola Chicago carried out the plans of Sister Jean, a 101-year-old superfans, in the T on Sunday, moving on to Sweet 16 with a 71-58 win over Illinois, the first No. 1 rebound in the NCAA Tournament. this year.
Cameron Krutwig delivered a 19-point, 12-rebound masterpiece and the Ramblers (26-4) fast-paced, eighth-seed took the lead. They confused a powerful Illinois offense to return to the second weekend three years after their last magical run in the Final Four.
The Ramblers will play for Oklahoma State or Oregon State, which are scheduled to meet Sunday.
His 2018 trip to the Final Four was led by Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the team’s venerable chaplain, who received both the COVID-19 vaccine and permission to travel to Indianapolis to see what inspiration he could. provide the 2021.
Before grabbing most of this game from the deluxe suite, sitting in a wheelchair and covered with her traditional maroon and gold scarf brand, Jean uttered a prayer prior to the game that could have been taken directly from ‘a manual by John Wood.
“While we play Fighting Illini, we ask for special help to overcome this team and get a big win,” he said. “We hope to score early and make our opponents nervous. We have a great opportunity to turn rebounds, as this team makes about 50% of the throws and 30% of their 3 points. Our defense can take care of that.”
From his mouth to his ears.
Illinois (24-7) won first place in the standings for the first time since its own Four Four final in 2005, but fell behind by two digits in the first half and never came within reach. The Illini made 16 business losses and scored 23 points less than the season average.
American Kofi Cockburn, 7 feet per second, finished with 21 points on the 7-on-12 shot, but worked hard for each shot against the annoying presence of Krutwig and Co.
And Loyola’s handsome guards, Lucas Williamson and Keith Clemons, prevented first-team American Ayo Dosunmu from finding his comfort zone. He finished with nine points, 11 below the season average.
The other American on the floor was a third team, Krutwig, who looked like everyone else on this one.
Publishing, pivoting, preparing when necessary, and causing all sorts of problems in painting defense, the senior 6-9 played bigger. He also had five assists. Krutwig was with Loyola on the final trip of the Final Four and has since become one of four players in Missouri Valley Conference history to record 1,500 points, 800 boards and 300 assists.
And there are more possibilities.
It’s a turn of events that Sister Jean was able to see happen. Before the match, he suggested that Loyola, the MVC champions who won 25 matches this year, could have reached a raw deal with a No. 8 ranked that positioned him against a 1 so soon.
There was only one way to deal with it, and for anyone outside of Champaign (or now who owns a newly obliterated support), it’s hard to argue that this Loyola team isn’t the breath of fresh air from this one. bubble tournament. necessary.
Of course, there have been inconveniences, some dramas and small teams doing big things.
But there is no one like Sister Jean who puts the whole issue into perspective. The Ramblers and March Madness: It’s a hard-to-break custom.