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."

"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."

"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."

Loyola Chicago won 91-88 over Cleveland State when Deywilk Tavarez sank a go-ahead 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left in the program's first official game since Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt's death at 106. The team is wearing a memorial patch; Sister Jean first connected with the program in 1994 and supported it for more than 30 years. She gained international fame during the 2018 Final Four, befriended celebrities and politicians, and received flowers from President Biden. A funeral mass drew hundreds of mourners. Coach Drew Valentine said he felt her presence, misses her pregame pep talks, and expects adjusting to take time. The team squandered a 10-point second-half lead before the late rally.

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