Saint Louis Looks to Extend Dominant Season Against Struggling Loyola Chicago CHICAGO (Interstat) — The surging Saint Louis Billikens, boasting one of the nation’s most impressive records, will face the struggling Loyola Chicago Ramblers in an Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball game Friday at Joseph Gentile Center. Saint Louis (23-1, 13-0 A-10) enters on a 14-game winning streak and has not lost since November. The Billikens are coming off an 82-58 rout of La Salle on Feb. 7, where Quentin Jones scored 13 points with six rebounds and four blocks. Jones, a key two-way contributor, is averaging 9.0 points, 3.4 assists and 1.9 blocks over his last seven games. The Billikens’ offense has been relentless, scoring 90 or more points in four of their last eight contests. Their lone loss was a non-conference defeat to then-Houston on Nov. 28. Loyola Chicago (6-19, 3-10) has lost eight of its last nine games, including an 84-64 defeat at Davidson on Feb. 6. In that loss, Miles Rubin led the Ramblers with 17 points and three blocks. Rubin has shown flashes, scoring 21 points at VCU on Jan. 30, but consistency has been an issue for a team allowing 77.2 points per game in conference play. The Ramblers’ only win since Jan. 3 was a 71-61 home victory over La Salle on Feb. 3. This matchup presents a stark contrast. Saint Louis leads the A-10 in scoring margin (+19.8 in conference games), while Loyola Chicago ranks near the bottom. The Billikens won the season’s first meeting 84-72 at La Salle on Jan. 10 and will host the Ramblers again on March 4. Saint Louis’s depth has been overwhelming, with players like Robbie Avila (9 points, 8 assists vs. La Salle) and Amari McCottry (13 points, 5 assists) providing significant support. Loyola Chicago will need a standout performance from Rubin and improved perimeter defense to challenge the conference frontrunner. Friday’s game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. EST tipoff.