One of the most successful debut seasons for a team in Loyola Athletics history officially belongs to Loyola Basketball’s Class of 2026.
In their first full season wearing the Blue & White, the Cubs finished with an impressive 25-2 overall record for a .926 winning percentage and went a perfect 7-0 in league play to claim the 2023 Mission League championship.
Season In Review:
Many milestones were accomplished by this year’s freshman team, including wins in all three tournaments they appeared in, big rivalry wins against St. Francis, Harvard-Westlake and Mira Costa, plus their undefeated run to the league title. The Cubs also scored 101 points in a single game back on Dec. 16th against Villa Park, while also allowing a season-low 7 points total in a road game on Jan. 7th at Valley Christian.
Their dominance on both the offensive and defensive end was apparent all season, with an average margin of victory of +30.4 ppg while keeping teams to an average of below 40 points scored per game (39.7) across all 27 contests played.
Loyola went a perfect 4-0 at home, 15-1 at neutral sites, and 6-1 in away games. Their only two losses of the season came early on, one being a tightly contested 7-point loss on the road at Mira Costa in November (with four players and two starters out due to injury/sickness), and the other a 2-point decision at the Artesia Winter Classic in pool play against a JV team from Lakewood. Still, the Cubs rattled off winning streaks of 12 games and 9 games throughout the season. They also avenged that loss to rival Mira Costa a month later, earning a 61-50 tournament win in Artesia after the Christmas break.
Clinching League:
The Cubs ran the table in the Mission League, going 7-0 overall with three wins at home and four wins on the road. Loyola won three of its seven games by at least 30 points (two games by 40+), while outscoring Mission League opponents by a +141 margin. The next closest was second-place finisher Notre Dame at just a +96 mark.
Their league and season finale was a thriller on the road at Chaminade on Jan. 27th. The back-and-forth game saw Loyola up just five at halftime and then down five late in the fourth quarter. But once again, it was the Cubs’ calling card—their team defense—that ended up being the difference. Clutch buckets and freethrows to stem the tide in the final few minutes led to a 50-47 win, capping off the undefeated league campaign and putting an exclamation point on one incredible debut season for the Class of 2026.
Congratulations to all of our Cubs and coaches. It's safe to say that the future of Loyola Basketball has arrived!
AMDG | C4L
2023 Mission League Standings
- 1st) Loyola: 7-0
- T2nd) Notre Dame (5-2)
- T2nd) St. Francis (5-2)
- T4th) Harvard-Westlake (4-3)
- T4th) Chaminade (4-3)
- 6th) Crespi (2-5)
- 7th) Sierra Canyon (1-6)
- 8th) Alemany (0-7)
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