The Loyola Ramblers and the La Salle Explorers meet Saturday in college basketball action from Tom Gola Arena. Loyola is currently 9-20 this year. The Ramblers are coming off a two-point loss to Rhode Island on Wednesday. As for La Salle, they’re sitting at 13-17 this year after a Tuesday loss to Dayton. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place.
Loyola Ramblers
Loyola went a rough 8-14 over their first 22 outings of the season. The Ramblers are just 1-6 in their last seven, taking losses to Saint Joseph’s, Richmond, Dayton, Fordham, Saint Louis and Rhode Island alongside a lone win over UMass.
On Wednesday versus Rhode Island, the Ramblers went into the locker room with a 44-37 deficit. Loyola hit a 40-35 run in the second but still lost 79-77. Sheldon Edwards was the team’s top scorer with 16 points and three rebounds.
La Salle Explorers
Over on the La Salle side, they were 9-13 at the 22-game mark this year. The Explorers have since gone 4-4 with wins over Saint Joseph’s, St. Bonaventure, UMass and Richmond before losses to George Mason, Duquesne, George Washington and Dayton.
In the Tuesday matchup versus Dayton, La Salle went into the second half facing a 33-27 deficit. The Explorers were drilled 44-26 from there and lost 77-53 in a blowout. Tops in scoring was Khalil Brantley with 19 points and eight rebounds.
ANDREW’S FREE PICK
I’ll probably lean toward La Salle in this one. There’s not a ton of intrigue going on here, but it should be a competitive matchup. The Explorers didn’t play particularly well in their last game versus Dayton. They’ve hit 66 or more points in three of the four games during this current losing streak, though. As for Loyola, they’ve lost four straight as well with 69 or more points in two of those outings. I like a fairly high-scoring finish in this one with La Salle powering out a home cover.