February 13, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Billikens center Robbie Avila (21) controls the ball during the second half against the Loyola Chicago Ramblers at Joseph J. Gentile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Image 25th-ranked St. Louis lost on the road for two weeks in a row.
The Billikens will look to finish their home schedule on an unblemished record when they host Loyola Chicago in Atlantic 10 Conference action on Wednesday.
Loyola (7-22, 3-13) snapped a four-game slide with a 69-66 home win over Richmond on Saturday. In a season to forget, the Ramblers built a 36-29 halftime lead and hung on for the win.
After a rough start to the season that included an 18-game winning streak, St. Louis is just 2-2 in its last four games. Rhode Island had its winning streak halted with an 81-76 home win over the Billikens on Feb. 17. A week later it was Dayton’s turn to take down St. Louis (26-3, 14-2), beating the Billikens 77-62 last Tuesday.
But two defeats were followed by a victory. The most recent win was a 91-76 win over Duquesne, where St. Louis erased a 41-39 halftime deficit and went on an 18-0 run at home. Robbie Avila had 23 points, 21 of them in the second half. Early in the first half, Avila scored 15 straight points for the Billikens. He added seven rebounds, seven assists and hit five 3-pointers, tying career highs.
Quentin Jones added 17 points, Trey Green had 14 and Paul Otieno had a season-high 13 points off the bench.
It was Avila’s 100th career win as the Billikens’ leading scorer (13.0 points per game). That total includes wins earned in his first two seasons at Indiana.
“He’s amazing, it’s unbelievable. It’s amazing what he’s accomplished in four years. 100 wins in less than four years of his basketball career.” St. Louis coach Josh Schertz said of the 6-foot-10 center. “He helped change the trajectory of two different programs. That’s the hallmark of individual greatness in team sports, the ability to win and elevate your teammates. People play better when they play with you.”
Even though Otieno has amassed meager statistics this year, including three starts, 15.7 minutes per game, 5.8 points per game, and 4.0 rebounds, Schertz played him a season-high 29 minutes for the energy he injected into the Billikens’ lineup.
“Ultimately (Otieno) starting the second half gave us a great opportunity to win,” Schertz said. “It doesn’t have any impact on Wednesday’s game, but it was my job to make decisions that gave us the best chance to win over the course of a game. Paul was plus-24 when he was there. He was really good and made plays on both ends of the court.”
Against the Spiders, Myles Rubin led Loyola with 19 points. Caleb Reese only had two points, three rebounds and two assists, but Ramblers coach Drew Valentine highlighted the senior guard’s effort. The Ramblers have played the last two games without starting point guard Justin Moore.
“We don’t have a starting point guard and Kayde (Dotson) is in foul trouble.” said Valentine. “Reese came in and was really consistent. He knocked down the free throws at the end. What an incredible career and incredible story he’s had.”
–Field level media
