Loyola Chicago Routs Citadel 77-52 in Opener
Dayan Nessah scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds as Loyola Chicago opened its season with a 25-point win over Citadel.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Basketball
Loyola Chicago defeated Citadel 77-52 in its season opener on Monday. The Ramblers took the lead for good with 17:49 remaining in the first half and led 36-27 at halftime before a 13-0 second-half run stretched the margin to 19 points.
Why it matters
The opening result gives Loyola Chicago an early start to the season as it prepares for its next home game against West Georgia. For Chicago basketball fans, the win provides an early look at the Ramblers' depth, with several players contributing double-figure scoring.
Nessah led Loyola Chicago with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Chris Jeffrey added 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three-point range. Joe Hurlburt paced Citadel with 11 points and seven rebounds, and the source does not report any advanced metrics beyond these box-score figures.
The players
Loyola Chicago Ramblers
The men's basketball program of Loyola University Chicago, a Jesuit university in the Rogers Park neighborhood, competing in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Citadel Bulldogs
The men's basketball program of The Citadel, the military college of South Carolina in Charleston, competing in the Southern Conference.
The details
Loyola Chicago built its lead through a strong first half and then pulled away after halftime with a 13-0 run. Jason Schofield added 10 points for the Ramblers, while Keynan Davis and Marcos Gonzales each scored 10 for Citadel.
Timeline
Monday: Loyola Chicago defeats Citadel 77-52 in its season opener
Thursday: Loyola Chicago hosts West Georgia
Friday: Citadel hosts Erskine
Season Trajectory
Opening-night wins carry little standings weight in November, but they set the early tone for a Missouri Valley Conference team looking to compete for postseason position. Loyola Chicago's balanced scoring in its first game gives it a baseline for measuring depth as conference play approaches.
Loyola Chicago's Thursday home game against West Georgia gives local fans an immediate chance to see whether the depth shown Monday holds up. Anyone tracking Nessah or Jeffrey in fantasy or pickup lineups will have a second data point from the same starting group.
The takeaway
Balanced scoring across the lineup, not one standout, drove Loyola Chicago's opening win, and that pattern is worth watching as the schedule moves into home games this week.
What happens next
Loyola Chicago hosts West Georgia on Thursday, and Citadel hosts Erskine on Friday.
Further reading
For more on the local team, see Chicago Basketball coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CBS Sports.
