Some Things – Loyola Ramblers Win On Buzzer Beater In First Game Since Sister Jean Passed Away

It was a sad off-season for the Loyola Ramblers. Long time team chaplain, 2018 Final Four run folk hero, the most die-hard Loyola Ramblers fan to ever live (probably), Sister Jean passed away at age 106. Only one year after her retirement. I did not have that on my bingo card.

That left side was my last fighting chance too. We'll get 'em next year.

It wasn't the best game start to finish last night for the Ramblers. They came into the night as -17.5 point favorites over the Cleveland State Vikings. As a man married to a woman who went to Cleveland State (freshman year only), you can imagine the tension in my household as her beloved Vikes closed a 10 point gap in the final 5 minutes to take a 2-point lead with 43-seconds to play. We were glued to our television. I am definitely not just learning about the game this morning, and transcribing the play-by-play off ESPN.com.

But as we all should have seen coming, there wasn't a snowballs chance in heck Sister Jean was letting her Ramblers go down in the RIP Sister Jean game. If the Ramblers weren't going to win by 50... when Loyola was inbounding the ball tied 88-88 with 2.6 seconds left on the clock... there was only one way this was going to end. 

Good for the Ramblers. You can't lose that game. Not after all Sister Jean did for the program. 

Awesome moment. Watching back those Sister Jean clips from their 2018 Final Four run almost made me tear up. To dedicate such an incredible portion of your life to something and have it pay off so late in such an improbable way… not many people get to experience that. And the fact that she was still working in her role as campus minister & team chaplain up until last year just further goes to show how much she truly loved Loyola. How can you not be romantic about college basketball?