Loyola-Chicago’s Cinderella run ends with loss to Michigan
Loyola-Chicago’s miraculous Cinderella story has come to an end with the Ramblers’ 69-57 Final Four loss to Michigan.
All good things must come to an end. And one of the best things of the year in sports has unfortunately come to an end, with No. 11-seed Loyola-Chicago’s 69-57 loss to the Michigan Wolverines.
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The Ramblers took a 29-22 lead into the locker room at halftime but could not hold on as a lengthy second-half run by Michigan toppled them.
Freshman big-man Cameron Krutwig had a great game for Loyola, totaling 17 points with six rebounds. Star guard Clayton Custer added 15 points but did not record an assist or rebound.
After a slow first-half, the stars were out for Michigan as star forward Moritz Wagner recorded 24 points and 15 rebounds. Sophomore guard Charles Matthews notched 17 points to help the Wolverines outscored the Ramblers 47-28 in the second half.
The spectacular ball movement that got the Ramblers to the Final Four was missing-in-action on Saturday as Loyola turned the ball over 17 times.
Another killer for Loyola was the inability of their scorers to make an impact. Ben Richardson and Donte Ingram combined for just 6 points on 3 of 8 shooting.
Loyola-Chicago was just 20 minutes away from becoming the first ever No. 11 seed to play in the National Championship game. Despite several pushes and prayers, the Ramblers just couldn’t pull this one off.
Michigan moves on to face the winner of tonight’s Kansas-Villanova game. Michigan coach John Beilein will attempt to win his first career National Championship after losing to Louisville in the 2013 National Championship game.
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It’s safe to say that Loyola-Chicago’s run is among the best in the history of the NCAA Tournament. Huge props to coach Porter Moser and the Ramblers. It was truly a pleasure to watch such an incredible run.
Until next season, Loyola. What a run for the Ramblers.