Sister Jean 'was with us,' as Loyola wins opener

Loyola Chicago coach Drew Valentine said he could feel Sister Jean's presence in his team's thrilling win over Cleveland State on Monday night.

Loyola Chicago standout Deywilk Tavarez hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds to play to secure the win in his team's first official game since the death of Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt -- the longtime chaplain of the program and its globally recognized supporter -- at the age of 106 last month.

"It's definitely not the same but we know she was with us tonight," Valentine said after his team's 91-88 home win.

This season, the Ramblers are wearing a patch on their uniforms in memory of Sister Jean, who first connected with the team in 1994 and supported the program for more than 30 years.

During Loyola Chicago's run to the Final Four in 2018, Sister Jean became so famous that she held her own press conference before the game. By the time she began to speak that day, the room was so packed that there were people standing in the hallways who could not get in.

As she became known around the world, celebrities and politicians befriended her. President Biden once sent her flowers.

Last month, a funeral mass was held in Chicago following her passing and hundreds of mourners paid their respects.

For Valentine, the season thus far has been different without Sister Jean, he said. His team's pregame routine always involved a pep talk from her. And she liked to give him advice while she stood near the court at every home game.

"Not seeing Sister Jean there when walking off the court, it's definitely something that's going to take time to get used to because I'd grown so accustomed to having those 20, 30-second conversations with her," he said after Monday's win.

Sister Jean's favorite team struggled in the second half on Monday night after it squandered a 10-point lead in the second half. With 10 seconds to play, Cleveland State's Dayan Nessah's layup tied the game, 88-88.

On the ensuing possession, however, Loyola Chicago's Tavarez (16 points) hit a game-winning 3-pointer near the corner to give the Ramblers the lead with 0.5 seconds to play.

As the home crowd erupted, Valentine said he knew someone else also deserved credit for that miraculous shot.

"Sister Jean," he said. "She had to be praying for those shots to go in at the end."