How the heck did Loyola Chicago make the Final Four?

Cinderella's run continued Saturday, as Loyola Chicago made Kansas State its latest victim with a dominant win in the Elite Eight.

With the victory, the 11th-ranked Ramblers punched their ticket to the Final Four - a truly shocking result that few predicted heading into the tournament.

So how exactly did Loyola Chicago pull off the impossible and make it to the national semifinals?

Balanced scoring

One of the main reasons the Ramblers are such a tough out is their balanced scoring attack. Clayton Custer leads the way with 13.4 points per game, but they feature five players that average double digits in points, including Donte Ingram, Marques Townes, and Aundre Jackson. Through the first three rounds of the tournament, Loyola Chicago didn't have any individual score 20 points in a game, but had three different leading scorers.

The Elite Eight belonged to senior Ben Richardson, who averaged just 6.4 points per game this season. The 6-foot-3 veteran played out of his damn mind against Kansas State, pouring in a career-high 23 points in the win thanks to a sparkling 6-of-7 shooting performance from deep.

Ball movement

To thrive with a balanced scoring attack, a team must rely on ball movement. That describes Loyola Chicago perfectly, as the Ramblers share the ball as well as anybody in the tournament. Through the Elite Eight, the team has assisted on a whopping 65 percent of its made field goals.

Loyola Chicago's balanced attack stretches defenses, and its elite passing makes the offense very difficult to guard.

Swarming defense

Loyola Chicago's defense is certainly its calling card, and the nation's fifth-best unit has been at its best during the NCAA tournament. After forcing 16 turnovers in the win over Miami, the Ramblers held Tennessee and Nevada below 46 percent shooting from the field. While the first three games were strong showings, Porter Moser's outfit saved their best for the Elite Eight, holding the Wildcats to a paltry 34.8 percent shooting from the field.

Late-game execution

If late-game execution is a sign of great coaching, consider Moser among the best in the country. The Ramblers showed exceptional poise in the dying minutes during each of their first three wins this tournament.

First, they freed up an excellent 3-point shooter in Ingram for the game-winner against Miami. Granted, the shot was from well beyond the arc, but the Ramblers showed absolutely no hesitation in running the play - an indication that it has been practiced multiple times.

The Round of 32 game against Tennessee showed more excellent execution in the clutch, with Custer using big Cameron Krutwig as a decoy to free himself for the game-winning jumper. The star guard may have been lucky with the bounce, but the offensive play put him in a position to succeed.

Custer was at the forefront for the Ramblers' late-game brilliance against Nevada as well, drawing the Wolf Pack defense to the lane before kicking out to Townes for the dagger 3-pointer to beat the shot clock.

Luck

The old saying that you have to be good to be lucky certainly rings true for Loyola Chicago, as the Ramblers have been both. The Missouri Valley champions won their opening three games by a combined four points and had a No. 9 seed waiting for them in the Elite Eight. Thanks to some incredible upsets, the Ramblers avoided No. 1 Virginia, No. 2 Cincinnati, No. 4 Arizona, and No. 5 Kentucky in the bracket.

Some might say that type of luck requires divine intervention, which Loyola Chicago may also have in the form of 98-year-old team chaplain Sister Jean.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)