Loyola Men's Basketball Team Becomes First-Ever NCAA Division I Team To Play In Guatemala - Loyola University Chicago Official Athletic Site

Aug. 16, 2006

Day 6 - Visit to Antigua and National Team Experience

Today the Loyola Ramblers visited one of the most historic sites in Central America, the former capitol of Central America, Antigua. Antigua, which is known for its production of jade jewelry and artifacts, is a beautiful city with cobblestone streets and many historic churches and landmarks. We took a guided tour of the city and our guys were able to pick up some Guatemalan souvenirs from the Antigua markets. We were an easy target for the town's sales force as they have never seen a tour group the size of ours before.

We couldn't believe that they had a Domino's pizza in town! After days of hearty Central American food, we enjoyed wonderful pizza from a very gracious staff who posed for pictures with our team.

We returned to the hotel to get ready for the game. This game was very significant to our players as we have learned that the Guatemalan citizens have really looked forward to this game. After the press conference last night and hearing of all of the tradition and love for basketball in this city, our guys came ready to roll.

The pre-game ceremonies were very powerful and patriotic experiences. The U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala and his staff visited our team locker room before the game to welcome us and talk about our trip to Central America. The Ambassador also attended a Jesuit university so he was very familiar with Loyola Chicago. We presented him with a Loyola basketball t-shirt and took several photos with him.

Blake Schilb carried the American flag onto the court with one of the Guatemalan National Team players and our guys took the court accompanied by local youth basketball players to a wild ovation from the packed house at the Palacios Arena.

Every time our players dunked the ball, the crowd went crazy. The place was relatively crowded an hour before the game, but as we got closer to tip-off both sides of the arena were full, along with the baselines.

The Guatemalan National team was extremely talented, poised and played hard all night. This was a great experience for our team as it was nice to play in front of an enthusiastic crowd that cheered wildly for the home team. It was deafening when we were at the free throw line and you could just sense that this was a big game.

We played very well throughout the night and pulled away in the fourth quarter to stay undefeated on the trip. Blake Schilb's 18 points led a well-balanced scoring attack for our team and we also welcomed back Leon Young to the starting lineup and he responded with a solid effort.

The postgame activities were a once in a lifetime experience. It seemed as if everyone in the stands made their way to the court to take pictures with our players, coaches, and the coaches' wives and get their autographs. Our guys were on the court for over an hour after the game and it was still crowded as our players signed everything imaginable from t-shirts to hats, posters, papers, arms, hands, bags, etc. This was a wonderful experience for our players as they continue to learn about new cultures and meet new people. As many people have told us since our arrival, Loyola Chicago is now Guatemala's team to cheer for next season!

It feels great to know that Loyola Chicago recorded the first NCAA Division I victory in the history of Guatemala. Our guys will have a fun trivia question to ask for the rest of their lives.

We play the Guatemalan National Team again on Thursday night.

Viva La Rambler!

Coach Boyle