CHICAGO _ Loyola senior Max Mifsud took a strategic route through a minus-34 wind chill gripping Chicago to get to the Ramblers' basketball game Wednesday night.
He lives only four blocks away, but he and his four companions stopped midway at a friend's house for a 10-minute warm-up before jogging the rest of the way to Gentile Arena. Once inside, he found a bathroom to swap out his fleece-lined boots and puffy jacket for flip-flops, a Mexico tank top, sunglasses and short shorts.
"I wanted everyone to have a good laugh," he said.
On a blustery night when meteorologists urged Chicagoans to stay indoors, Loyola fans braved the cold to see their team defeat Northern Iowa, 61-60; the Ramblers rallied from a six-point deficit late in the second half. The crowd was relatively sparse but still fuller than some games a few seasons ago when the team wasn't quite as popular.
The student section was packed and boisterous an hour before tipoff.
And, of course, Sister Jean Delores Schmidt was there.
"She said she wasn't going to miss it," senior associate athletic director Tom Hitcho said of the 99-year-old team chaplain. She took a handicap taxi from a location where she stays downtown to nearly the doors of the arena to minimize her time in the cold.
"Thank you for being at our game on this historic cold day in Chicago," Schmidt said during her traditional pregame prayer on the arena floor. "Cheer loudly and keep warm."
There was no charge to use the parking garage next to the Loyola student center.
DePaul hosted No. 14 Villanova at Wintrust Arena and also allowed fans to park for free and enter the arena through an enclosed walkway. Reporters at that game tweeted the arena was far from full.
"It's always freezing when we go to Chicago," Wildcats coach Jay Wright told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It's always been the coldest spot. I didn't go outside before when we went to Chicago, so I can't imagine what this is going to be like."
DePaul and Loyola said they followed their conferences' protocol that allows teams to play as long as state and local officials don't require a cancellation and as long as the opponent and officials make it safely to the arena.
Both schools canceled classes Wednesday and Thursday.
That prompted some Loyola students to make the most of their day off. Some fans began lining up outside the arena at 1 p.m. for the 6 p.m. game.
"Once I found out classes and my extracurriculars were canceled, there was no question I was coming," sophomore Jennifer Bostwick said. "I'm always dragging people with me to games."
Some faced the freeze to get a little warmth.
"The heat in our apartment couldn't keep up," senior Luke Yeager said. "It's set on 85 but it's only 65. I knew the trip was worth it for the heat."
Those long gold-and-maroon-striped scarves made famous during last season's Final Four run became practical for Ramblers fans Wednesday. Fans braved the cold to add a maroon-and-white Loyola beanie _ a giveaway to early attendees _ to their collection.
The annual "Jesuit Jam" game, in which Jesuit Catholics helped host the game, was also a draw.
There was simpler motivation for some.
"I couldn't say no because the tickets were free," said Jose Zamudio, who drove to the game from Mundelein with his 12-year-old nephew Alex. "They're a good team. They have a lot of potential. They're worth checking out."
Mifsud, who didn't take off his shades during the game, wanted to provide extra support for Loyola, expecting the crowd might be thin because of the weather.
"When classes were canceled, we were all like, 'Maybe we stay (home) all day,' " he said. "But conference play is so clutch. I'm like, 'Is this game important? Yes, of course it is. Let's just do it.' "
