Expect a low-scoring game when the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (20-11) and Loyola Chicago Ramblers (18-12) collide in the Championship of the CBI tournament at Joseph J. Gentile Arena. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Monday, Mar. 30.
The Ramblers come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, topping Seattle 63-48 in the semifinals. Christian Thomas played a pivotal role, recording his first double-double of the season with 21 points and three assists. The Warhawks, meanwhile, are coming off a 71-65 win against Vermont in the semifinals. Majok Deng was the team’s top scorer, accounting for 11 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
The Ramblers may have trouble getting to the line in this one. They’re 268th in the nation in FTA rate (33.3), while Louisiana-Monroe is among the nation’s least foul-prone squads (yielding a FTA rate of just 29.3, 32nd in the country). Moreover, foul-shooting opportunities could prove to be quite rare for the Warhawks. They are 350th in the nation in FTA rate (27.2), while the Ramblers are among the nation’s least foul-prone teams (allowing a rate of just 28.3, ranking 24th in the country).
The odds for Loyola (Chicago) and Louisiana-Monroe are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Ramblers have gone 22-13 Straight Up (SU) and 20-11 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3).
As for their opponent, the Warhawks have 24-12 SU and 20-11 ATS records.
Loyola (Chicago) and Louisiana-Monroe will be facing off for their first head-to-head game in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – ULM, ATS Winner – ULM
Notes
The Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks average 64.4 possessions per game and 1.002 points per possession. The Loyola Chicago Ramblers earn fewer possessions with 60.2, but they score more points with 1.028.
Louisiana-Monroe has an average effective field goal percentage of 47.6%. Loyola (Chicago) is a losing 6-10 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, Loyola (Chicago) attempts 15.4 three pointers and Louisiana-Monroe attempts 16.4. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Loyola Chicago Ramblers have a 3-2 record while the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks are even at 3-3.
Louisiana-Monroe, the 80th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.3 per game. Loyola (Chicago) does worse, ranked 306th with 2.3.
Loyola (Chicago) ranks 327th in offensive rebounds, while Louisiana-Monroe ranks 40th in defensive rebounds.
