Game Info: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 - 9:00 p.m. EST
Location: Gentlie Arena - Chicago, Ill.
TV: CBS Sports Network | Listen: sjuhawks.com | Live Stats: sjuhawks.com | Saint Joseph's Game Notes | Loyola Chicago Game Notes

Social Media
Twitter/X: @sjuhawks_mbb | Instagram: @sjuhawks_mbb

Opening Tip
Saint Joseph's plays its third consecutive nationally televised game, traveling to Loyola Chicago on Tuesday, January 27. Tipoff from Gentile Arena is slated for 9:00 p.m. EST with the game to air on CBS Sports Network.

Atop The Mountain    
By blocking four shots against Dayton, Justice Ajogbor finds himself all alone as the top shot blocker in NCAA D1. His swats against the Flyers give him 227 in his career, passing Justin Abson of Georgia who had one rejection against Texas on Sunday. Ajogbor is guaranteed to hold the top spot through the game at Loyola Chicago as neither Abson nor Felix Okpara (222 career blocks) of Tennessee play until Wednesday. Tuesday and Wednesday's schedules across college basketball feature a pair of potential shot blocking bonanzas as all four of the active career Division I players with 200 or more career blocks play each other. Ajogbor and Miles Rubin of the Ramblers face off while Abson and Okpara battle it out on Wednesday when Georgia hosts Tennessee.

Dynamic Derek    
Against Dayton, Derek Simpson continued to deliver at an elite level for the Hawks. The senior guard scored 20 points and had nine rebounds against the Flyers. It was his fourth game of 20 or more points this season, three of them coming in A-10 play. In conference games, Simpson has kicked it into another gear, ranking eighth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring at 16.9 points per game and leading the league in assists an outing at 5.9. He is the only player in the A-10 this season and one of just 14 nationally to average 13 points, five rebounds and four assists per game.

Back To Basics    
The Hawks got back on the right track of protecting the ball, committing 12 turnovers against Dayton, a game after coughing the ball up 18 times at VCU. While 12 turnovers may not be something often to brag about, it is a significant accomplishment as coming into the game, Dayton was sixth nationally, forcing 16.6 opponent miscues a contest. Overall, since conference play began, SJU has given the ball up 11.7 times an outing, an improvement over its previous non-conference total of 12.7 a night. Taking out the game against the Rams, St. Joe's is giving up the ball just 10.7 times per game, a mark that would be third in the A-10.

20-20-20 Vision    
For the second time this year, Saint Joseph's had three players score 20 or more points in the same game with Jaiden Glover-Toscano, Dasear Haskins and Derek Simpson all hitting 20 on the dot. The game matches the output at UNLV. Prior to the contest against the Runnin' Rebels, SJU had not had a game with three players scoring 20+ since January 18, 2021 against La Salle when Ryan Daly (30), Jordan Hall (22) and Taylor Funk (20) accomplished the feat.

Like A Rock    
Few players on the Hawks this season have been as consistent on a game-by-game basis as Dasear Haskins. Particularly in the last 12 games, the redshirt sophomore has scored in double figures in nine of those contests, including a career-high of 20 against Dayton. The Willingboro, N.J. native is averaging 12.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in those dozen contests. His overall numbers have nearly doubled from last season when he posted 5.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per outing on his way to A-10 All-Rookie Team honors.

Back To The Line    
After averaging 15.2 free throw attempts a game in its previous three contests, the Hawks got their way back to the stripe against Dayton, taking 26 shots from the charity stripe. Getting to the line is a key for the SJU offense as it is 9-2 in games where it takes more free throws than the opposition. The Hawks also tend to make their shots when they get to the line, leading the Atlantic 10 and ranking 50th nationally, connecting on 76.2 percent of their shots at the stripe.

Scouting Report    

• Loyola Chicago enters play at 5-16 overall and is 1-7 in the A-10 following a 71-59 setback against Duquesne on Saturday. It has been a rough go for the Ramblers who, after winning their conference opener, have dropped seven in a row, despite being picked to finish fifth in the conference preseason poll.
• Leading the offense for Loyola is redshirt-junior Justin Moore. The Drexel transfer is netting 12.6 points per game and tops the team with 66 assists. He is followed in the scoring column by Xavier Amos (11.0 PPG), Miles Rubin (10.9) and Kayde Dotson (10.4). Rubin leads the team in rebounding at 7.2 boards per night and is at the top of the conference and is seventh nationally with 53 blocks.
• Rim protection is one of the best things the Ramblers do as they are in the top-100 in NCAA D1 with 4.0 blocks per game. They also do a decent job of keeping teams off the line, committing 17.2 fouls a night.
• Maintaining possession of the ball and the three-point line have been significant issues for LUC this season. It ranks 294th nationally, giving the ball up 13.2 times per game. It is also third from the bottom in turnover margin (-5.0) and second to last in the country in turnovers forced (8.2). Loyola is 325th in NCAA Division I in three-point shooting at 30.7 percent, but ranks in the bottom-10 in perimeter defense with the opposition connecting on 38.0 percent of shots from beyond the arc.
• Drew Valentine is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Ramblers and his ninth season on the staff overall. He has guided LUC to three seasons with 20+ wins and a berth in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

All-Time Series    
Tuesday is the 11th meeting all-time between the Hawks and Ramblers in a relatively new series that dates to the 2016-17 season. SJU holds a 6-4 advantage. The two teams split last year's games, with each winning on its home floor. St. Joe's is 1-3 at Gentile Arena and is looking for its first win at Loyola Chicago since February 8, 2023.

Last Time Against Loyola Chicago    
Saint Joseph's rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit to take a late second half lead, but Loyola scored the final five points of the game, including a controversial foul call with two seconds remaining, as the Ramblers outlasted SJU 58-55 on February 1, 2025. Erik Reynolds II led the Hawks with 17 points. Rasheer Fleming added 12 points and 13 rebounds. Justice Ajogbor blocked five shots. After an abysmal first half that saw St. Joe's hit just 5-of-26 shots and trail 34-17 at the break, SJU rallied in the second half and took a 55-53 lead on a pair of Fleming free throws. A layup by Jayden Dawson tied the game for the Ramblers and then after Saint Joseph's came up empty on the offensive end, Dawson was granted a foul on a three-point attempt with two seconds left. He converted all three at the stripe to seal the win.

Special Delivery    
With his 11 assists against Duquesne, Derek Simpson moved into some select territory for the Hawks. He became the 13th player since 2004-05 to record double figures in assists for a game. In total, the feat has been accomplished 20 times in the last two decades with Jordan Hall (2020-22) leading the way with 10 or more dimes five times.

Next Up    
St. Joe's returns to Philadelphia for a city rivalry game at La Salle on Saturday, January 31, 2026. Tipoff from Glazer Arena is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. with the game to air on USA Network.