Game Notes | Live Video vs. UNI | Live Stats vs. UNI

CHICAGO (January 5, 2018) - After getting off to a 10-1 start, its best since 1965-66, Loyola has dropped three of its last four contests heading into Sunday's showdown at UNI. The Ramblers are looking to snap a five-game, road losing skid in Missouri Valley Conference action. Loyola has suffered some heartbreaking losses on the road in Valley play, as its last six setbacks away from home in conference action have come by a combined total of 15 points. Each of those six defeats came by five points or less, with five of those games being determined by a single possession.
 
Series Stuff
Loyola and UNI are meeting for the 16th time in a series that dates back to 1994. The Panthers hold a 10-5 lead in the all-time series, though the Ramblers have prevailed in three of the last four matchups. Two of the last three meetings between the clubs have been decided by three points or less.
 
When the teams last met, Loyola came up on the short end of a 72-69 decision in double overtime in Cedar Falls on January 18, 2017. Donte Ingram (19 points) and Clayton Custer (16 points) combined to shoot 9-for-17 from beyond the arc, but the Panthers held a decisive 30-to-8 advantage in free throw attempts. Loyola is just 1-6 all-time in Cedar Falls, picking up its first-ever win over UNI at the McLeod Center on January 16, 2016 (51-41), behind 14 points and 12 rebounds from Montel James. Loyola is 4-5 against UNI since joining the MVC for the 2013-14 campaign.
 
Scouting UNI
After winning eight of its first ten outings, with the only losses coming at the hands of No. 9 North Carolina and No. 5 Villanova, UNI has fallen on hard times, dropping its last five contests heading into Sunday's game. The Panthers are 6-2 at McLeod Center this season, but have been upended on their home floor each of the last two times out, to Xavier and Southern Illinois.
 
Preseason All-MVC senior forward Bennett Koch is the lone Panther scoring in double figures with a team-best 13.7 points per game, to go with 6.7 rebounds and a 57.9 field goal percentage (70-for-121). Guard Tywhon Pickford has been one of the top freshmen in The Valley this season, pitching in 9.3 ppg and 8.9 rpg, a figure that ranks second in the conference.
 
UNI is coming off a 62-55 loss at Missouri State on Thursday night. After falling behind by as many as 19 points, the Panthers rallied late to get within four points in the closing seconds, but couldn't get any closer. Pickford led UNI with 18 points.
 
Up Next
Loyola heads central Illinois to battle Illinois State on January 10.