Box Score (PDF)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (January 7, 2018)

In Short
Clayton Custer scored a team-high 11 points in his first game back from an ankle injury to lead Loyola University Chicago (12-4, 2-2 MVC) to a 56-50 victory over UNI (8-8, 0-4 MVC) at McLeod Center today. The Ramblers closed the game on an 11-2 run to earn the win.
 
How It Happened
Defense was the name of the game in the first half as neither team was able to get into much rhythm. UNI led by five points on a pair of occasions in the opening 20 minutes, the final time coming on a free throw from Bennett Koch, with 1:30 remaining, but the Ramblers quickly sliced the deficit down to a point thanks to consecutive layups by Aundre Jackson and Bruno Skokna. Koch's dunk with 20 seconds left stretched the Panthers' lead to 26-23, an advantage they took into the locker room at the intermission.
 
Loyola quickly erased the halftime deficit, scoring the first five points on a three from Ben Richardson and a pair of free throws from Marques Townes, to take a 28-26 lead.
 
The Ramblers would go ahead by four on a three from Custer and shot-clock-beating jumper from Townes to take a four-point lead (39-35), but the Panthers surged back and tied the score at 41. Minutes later, UNI reclaimed the lead on a banked three-pointer from Tywhon Pickford, but the Ramblers would finish the game with a flourish, scoring 11 of the game's final 13 points.
 
Richardson's third three of the game put Loyola ahead for good, at 50-48 and a pair of free throws from Cameron Krutwig put the visitors on top by four. After the Panthers sliced the lead in half, a layup by Donte Ingram gave the Ramblers some breathing room and they would hang on for their first road win in Valley play this season.
 
A Look At The Numbers

• Custer added four assists and no turnovers to go with his 11 points.
• Richardson and Krutwig finished with nine points apiece, while Ingram added eight points and six boards.
• Loyola held UNI to 36.5 percent shooting for the game.
• Bennett Koch led UNI with 17 points.

 
Up Next
Loyola wraps up a two-game road trip on January 10 when it visits Illinois State.