No. 18 Saint Louis Extends Win Streak to Loyola Chicago

Defensive-minded Billikens look to continue dominant run against struggling Ramblers

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

No. 18 Saint Louis, riding a 17-game winning streak, will travel to face Loyola Chicago on Friday. The Billikens have relied on their stifling defense to fuel their offense, ranking fourth nationally in fastbreak points per game and first in field-goal percentage defense. Meanwhile, the Ramblers have struggled through a forgettable season marked by injuries, going 0-9 in January before notching their first win of the new year against La Salle.

Why it matters

This matchup pits a nationally ranked, defensive-minded Saint Louis team against a struggling Loyola Chicago squad, highlighting the stark contrast in the teams' fortunes this season. The Billikens' dominant defensive performance has fueled their impressive win streak and propelled them into the national rankings, while the Ramblers' season has been marred by injuries and losses.

The details

Saint Louis turned up the intensity in the second half of its 82-58 win over La Salle on Saturday, converting 10 of 20 3-point attempts. Sixth man Ishan Sharma led the Billikens with 15 points, draining 5 of 9 3-pointers. Quentin Jones, Amari McCottry, and Dion Brown also scored in double figures. Head coach Josh Schertz believes the team's defensive effort is the key to their success, as it allows them to thrive in transition. Loyola Chicago, on the other hand, has battled injuries all season, going 0-9 in January before notching a win against La Salle on Feb. 3. Miles Rubin was the only Ramblers player to score in double digits in their latest loss to Davidson, finishing with 17 points.

  • Saint Louis (23-1, 11-0 Atlantic 10) will face Loyola Chicago (6-19, 2-10) on Friday.
  • Saint Louis turned up the intensity in the second half of its 82-58 win over La Salle on Saturday.

The players

Josh Schertz

Head coach of the Saint Louis Billikens.

Ishan Sharma

Sixth man for the Saint Louis Billikens who led the team with 15 points and 5 of 9 3-pointers in their win over La Salle.

Robbie Avila

Senior center for the Saint Louis Billikens who leads the team with 12.8 points per game and 4.3 assists per game.

Miles Rubin

Junior center for the Loyola Chicago Ramblers who scored a game-high 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting in their loss to Davidson.

Drew Valentine

Head coach of the Loyola Chicago Ramblers.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“When you play good defense that allows you usually to play into transition on offense, because you are getting a stop and a rebound. When you play good offense and score or take a good shot, it allows you to set your defense. Then your defense is better. So it's always the complementary phases. It's very hard to be good at offense if you are bad at defense because you are always taking the ball out of the net and going against a set defense.”

— Josh Schertz, Head coach, Saint Louis Billikens (statenews.net)

“I think our guys did a good job from a mentality standpoint of still doing whatever they could to compete. Those guys walking into the arena today, they didn't think they were going to do that. I commend our guys for doing that. I commend our guys for fighting.”

— Drew Valentine, Head coach, Loyola Chicago Ramblers (statenews.net)

What’s next

The Billikens will look to extend their 17-game winning streak and continue their dominant defensive performance against the struggling Ramblers, while Loyola Chicago will aim to build on their recent win against La Salle and find a way to compete with the nationally ranked Billikens.

The takeaway

Saint Louis' stifling defense has fueled their impressive run, as they rank among the nation's best in key defensive metrics. Meanwhile, Loyola Chicago's season has been marred by injuries and losses, underscoring the stark contrast between these two teams as they meet on the court.