Preview: Loyola Chicago vs. Richmond in Atlantic 10 Tournament

PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — A rematch from the regular season’s final weekend will open the Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship on Wednesday when the Richmond Spiders face the Loyola Chicago Ramblers.

The seed Ramblers (8-23) and seed Spiders (15-16) meet at PPG Paints Arena, with the winner advancing to face seed Duquesne on Thursday. Loyola Chicago enters with momentum from a 68-62 win over George Washington on Saturday, which snapped a four-game losing streak. Richmond seeks to end a three-game skid, most recently a 79-77 loss at Duquesne.

The teams split their regular-season series, with each winning on its home court. Loyola Chicago won the most recent meeting 69-66 on Feb. 28 behind a balanced effort. Richmond’s AJ Lopez scored 23 points in that loss.

Loyola Chicago will rely on guard Kayde Dotson, who is coming off a 17-point, 5-assist performance in the win over George Washington. He averaged 16.3 points over his last three games. Forwards Xavier Amos and Miles Rubin provide supplemental scoring and rim protection.

Richmond counters with Lopez, who has been a consistent scorer. He averaged 17.2 points over his last five games, including 23 in the earlier loss to Loyola. Guards Will Johnston and Mikkel Tyne combined for 28 points in the narrow loss to Duquesne and will be key alongside Lopez.

The game features two teams looking to salvage difficult seasons with a postseason run. Loyola Chicago, despite its record, has shown recent competitiveness. Richmond aims to reach .500 and extend its stay in Pittsburgh. Tipoff is scheduled for approximately 1:30 p.m. EDT.