The No. 11 Loyola-Chicago Ramblers edged by the No. 7 Nevada Wolf Pack 69-68 in a Sweet 16 upset in the NCAA College Basketball Tournament Thursday night.
All No. 11 Loyola-Chicago has done in the tournament is pull off upsets in dramatic fashion, first dispatching No. 6 Miami on a last-second 3-pointer and then knocking off No. 3 Tennessee with a jumper that seemed to touch every part of the rim before falling through with 3.6 seconds left.
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The Ramblers (31-5) have now won 13 games straight and 20 out of 21. That streak includes a three-game championship run through the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.
Playing in their first NCAA Tournament in 33 years, the Ramblers improved on that 1985 appearance that saw them lose to eventual runner-up Georgetown in the Sweet 16.
This marks the fourth overall Sweet 16 appearance for the Ramblers, who are seeking their first Elite Eight berth since 1963, when they went on to beat Cincinnati for the national title.
Coincidentally, it was the No. 2 Cincinnati Bearcats who the seventh-seeded Wolf Pack beat Sunday to grab their own spot in the Sweet 16.
To do so, they had to rally for the second straight game. Although Sunday's rally was a bit bigger than the 14-point second-half or four-point overtime deficits they erased to beat No. 10 Texas in the first round.
Nevada stormed back from 22 points down over the final 11 minutes the second-round game to stun Cincinnati 75-73 and earn just the second Sweet 16 appearance in program history.
Playing in the tournament for the second straight year, the Wolf Pack's other Sweet 16 trip ended with a loss to Georgia Tech in 2004.
Nevada (29-7) topped the Mountain West Conference regular season standings before losing to San Diego State in the conference tournament semifinals.
Loyola-Chicago will now face No. 9 Kansas State.
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