GAME NOTES: The Loyola-Chicago Ramblers will host the Seattle Redhawks in a semifinal matchup of the CBI on Wednesday night.

The winner will next take on either Vermont or ULM in the best-of-three championship series starting on Mar. 30.

These schools are meeting for the third time in history, splitting the first two meetings in 1958 and 1962.

Seattle advanced past the quarters with a 72-65 home win against Colorado on Monday, while Loyola-Chicago held on for an 86-78 win over Oral Roberts.

The Ramblers led by as many as 17 in the second half and survived a late comeback thanks to their free-throw shooting. They made 9-of-9 from the line over the final 40 seconds and went 27-of-35 overall from the foul line.

Earl Peterson made all 11 of his free throws and led four players in double figures with 19 points. Montel James contributed 17 points, Christian Thomas netted 15, and Milton Doyle added 14 in the victory.

The Ramblers have proved to be deliberate in their offensive attack this season. Loyola doesn't put up flashy numbers at a modest 62.7 ppg, but the team does it with great efficiency, shooting a hefty 47.1 percent from the floor, including 39.4 percent beyond the arc.

Thomas is a big reason for Loyola's strong season in terms of efficient play, as the 6-foot-5 senior is shooting an impressive 55.6 percent from the floor, and is second on the team in scoring at 11.3 ppg. Doyle took over the scoring lead at 11.6 ppg, followed by James and his 9.4 ppg. Rebounding has been challenge for Loyola this season, averaging just 29.2 caroms per contest, which ranks near the bottom of all Division I programs.

Against Colorado, Jarell Flora led the Redhawks with 22 points, Isiah Umipig chipped in with 20 on 20 shots, and Jack Crook and William Powell combined for 19 points on 8-of-8 shooting.

Seattle was a bit cold in the opening frame, hitting just 37.5 percent of its shots, and trailed by three, 31-28, at the break and by nine early in the second half. But the Redhawks woke up from there and buried 60 percent of their tries from the floor, adding in 7-of-12 from beyond the arc and 13-of-20 at the free-throw line. The Buffaloes connected on a mere 25.9 percent from there floor with a 3-of-15 effort from long distance.

Umipig, who has made 32 free throws in a row, usually leads the charge for the Redhawks, netting 17.3 ppg on 41.1 percent shooting. He is followed by Flora, who tallies 14.1 ppg as the only other double-digit scorer for Seattle. Both players are connecting on greater than 40 percent of their 3-point attempts.

Seattle has made it work offensively despite averaging a mediocre 62.9 ppg. That's because the defense has done its part by limiting the opposition to 61.6 ppg on 39.6 percent shooting.

Before this tournament, Seattle had not won a postseason game since 1964, and Loyola had not been to a postseason of any kind since 1985. Both teams want to extend their seasons even further, and while the Redhawks have certainly played their best ball of the season over the past month, they are just 2-9 in true road games. Look for Loyola to jump ahead early and advance.