GAME INFORMATION
Final Score: Wichita State 76, Loyola 54
Records: Wichita State (22-7, 15-2 MVC); Loyola (14-15, 7-10)
Location: Gentile Arena -- Chicago, Ill.
Attendance: 2,709
Stats: Box Score | Season Stats
Media: Postgame Press Conference | Highlights | Photo Gallery

In Short...
Visiting Wichita State scored the first eight points of the game and used a 9-2 run early in the second half to turn a 10-point lead into a 17-point advantage in a 76-54 win over Loyola tonight at Gentile Arena.

Devon Turk and Montel James, two of Loyola's four seniors playing their final home game, led the way with 18 points and 14 points, 10 rebounds, respectively.

How It Happened...
+ Wichita State's Ron Baker scored the first five points of the game and Evan Wessel hit a three-pointer to give the Shockers an 8-0 lead less than three minutes into the game
+ Milton Doyle fed Julius Rajala for a dunk to get the Ramblers on the board and a 7-0 spurt later, capped by a beautiful, spinning layup from Doyle, cut the deficit to just five (16-11) midway through the half
+ However, Wichita State bumped the lead up to 18 with just under three minutes left in the half before Turk caught fire, draining three consecutive three-pointers to send the Ramblers to the locker room down just 10 (37-27)
+ The teams traded two buckets apiece to open the second half and Loyola had a chance to trim the lead at the free throw line but two misses and a Baker layup kickstarted the 9-2 run that made it a 50-33 game with just over 14 minutes left
+ A Turk drive and two James free throws cut the margin to 13 but the Shockers answered with a pair of baskets and the Ramblers would get no closer than 14 points the rest of the way

Inside The Box Score
+ Loyola finished the game shooting just 35% from the floor, its second-lowest shooting percentage of the season (31% at New Mexico, Nov. 18)
+ Turk finished with 18 points and four rebounds in 33 turnover-free minutes and is 9-of-13 (69%) from the arc over the last two games
+ James recorded his sixth double-double of the season, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the second consecutive game
+ In doing so, he becomes the first Rambler to record back-to-back double-doubles since Christian Thomas did it against Kent State and Detroit in Feb., 2013
+ Aside from Turk's 7-of-14 shooting performance, the rest of Loyola's starting lineup went just 5-of-20 (25%) from the floor
+ Loyola has all to play for on Saturday afternoon, as it is still alive for the sixth, seventh and eighth seed at next week's Arch Madness
+ The Ramblers are tied with Indiana State for seventh place, just one game behind Missouri State for sixth position

Next Up
Loyola closes out the regular season on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 27) with a 1 p.m. game at Drake.