Sister Jean Backlash? Loyola's No. 1 Fan Slammed For Early Exit

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — Loyola might have been the darlings of the NCAA's Big Dance on the court thanks to its historic and improbable run. But it was the team's 98-year-old basketball-savvy chaplain who became the national sweetheart of the tournament off the court. Casual March Madness fans might not know Marcus Townes or Clayton Custer, but they know Sister Dolores-Schmidt.

How bright has the spotlight been on Sister Jean, the No. 11 Ramblers unofficial scout and de facto face of the team? In the first 40 hours of going on sale March 20, perorders for her bobblehead — the third time she has been immortalized in that manner — were the most for any bobblehead for the Bobblehead Hall of Fame, the company responsible for the figurine. So far, more than 10,000 people from all 50 states — more than 60 percent of sales have been outside of Illinois — have ordered the item.

That popularity can come at a price, though. For one thing, it's exhausting, and that's why Sister Jean did not do interviews following Loyola's loss to Michigan on Saturday. A school spokesman told USA Today that the sister will be stepping away from all the attention for a while.

RELATED: Loyola Loses To Michigan: 'We Took The Nation On A Ride'

"She’s done for a while," Ryan Haley, Loyola's assistant director of athletic communications, said. "We’re going to give her a little bit of an extended break from everything … and let her kind of catch her breath."

Sister Jean also faced some criticism online for leaving the game before the final seconds had ticked off. The game broadcast showed Loyola's No. 1 fan exiting her partioned seating area at the Alamodome with about a minute left and Michigan up by nine points. But she did so in order to be ready to hug and console many of the players in the arena's tunnel following the loss, according to Sports Illustrated.

One commenter, though, took umbrage with the knocks on Sister Jean by Michigan fans, pointing out a bit of hypocrisy from a shared moment from Michigan's and Chicago's past:

But none of that online backlash dampened Michigan's Jordan Poole's desire to meet Sister Jean. The freshman shooting guard shook hands with her after the game and told the sister he was "a big fan of you guys," according to Rivals.

More Loyola Coverage on Patch:

• Senior Smack Talk: Jalen Rose's Granny Calls Out Sister Jean
• Loyola Routs Kansas State: Ramblers Get Ramblin' To Final Four
• When Sister Jean Met Mariah: Watch The Sweet 16 Sweethearts Chat
• Loyola Beats Nevada: Ramblers Soar Into Elite Eight
• Loyola's Bus Gets Lost Going To Arena? That's March Madness
• From a YMCA Kid to the Sweet Sixteen
• Loyola's Sister Jean Gets Push To Go On 'Ellen DeGeneres Show'
• Loyola Ends Long NCAA Tournament Drought

"She had their back the entire time," Poole said. "Everybody talks about them being the Cinderella story, and she was getting a lot of attention. But being able to build a fan base how she did, and being able to have Loyola have so many fans out here and travel well, … I just thought the entire concept and everything that she brought to the table, and being able to have such a big impact on the team, being in a situation like this, I thought it was amazing."

Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt at the Final Four game Saturday, March 31, in San Antonio between No.11 Loyola and No. 3 Michigan. (Photo by Ronald Martinez | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images)