Loyola Chicago coach Drew Valentine stated he may really feel Sister Jean’s presence in his staff’s thrilling win over Cleveland State on Monday night time.
Loyola Chicago standout Deywilk Tavarez hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds to play to safe the win in his staff’s first official recreation for the reason that demise of Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt — the longtime chaplain of this system and its globally acknowledged supporter — on the age of 106 final month.
“It is positively not the identical however we all know she was with us tonight,” Valentine stated after his staff’s 91-88 house win.
This season, the Ramblers are sporting a patch on their uniforms in reminiscence of Sister Jean, who first linked with the staff in 1994 and supported this system for greater than 30 years.
Throughout Loyola Chicago’s run to the Remaining 4 in 2018, Sister Jean grew to become so well-known that she held her personal press convention earlier than the sport. By the point she started to talk that day, the room was so packed that there have been individuals standing within the hallways who couldn’t get in.
As she grew to become recognized world wide, celebrities and politicians befriended her. President Biden as soon as despatched her flowers.
Final month, a funeral mass was held in Chicago following her passing and tons of of mourners paid their respects.
For Valentine, the season up to now has been completely different with out Sister Jean, he stated. His staff’s pregame routine at all times concerned a pep discuss from her. And he or she favored to present him recommendation whereas she stood close to the courtroom at each house recreation.
“Not seeing Sister Jean there when strolling off the courtroom, it is positively one thing that is going to take time to get used to as a result of I might grown so accustomed to having these 20, 30-second conversations together with her,” he stated after Monday’s win.
Sister Jean’s favourite staff struggled within the second half on Monday night time after it squandered a 10-point lead within the second half. With 10 seconds to play, Cleveland State’s Dayan Nessah’s layup tied the sport, 88-88.
On the following possession, nonetheless, Loyola Chicago’s Tavarez (16 factors) hit a game-winning 3-pointer close to the nook to present the Ramblers the lead with 0.5 seconds to play.
As the house crowd erupted, Valentine stated he knew another person additionally deserved credit score for that miraculous shot.
“Sister Jean,” he stated. “She needed to be praying for these pictures to go in on the finish.”