Loyola Chicago wins in first game since death of Sister Jean - ESPN

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