Boxscore (PDF)

CHICAGO (February 3, 2018)
 
In Short
Led by a balanced attack that featured six players in double figures, Loyola University Chicago (19-5, 9-3 MVC) rolled to a 97-75 victory over preseason Missouri Valley Conference favorite Missouri State (15-10, 5-7 MVC) this afternoon at Gentile Arena. The Ramblers, who shot 60.9 percent (39-for-64) from the field, have won eight of their last nine contests and set a school record for MVC wins (9) since joining the league in 2013-14.
 
Porter Moser's Thoughts
"First off, I want to thank our crowd. We've been striving for an atmosphere like that. I'm proud of how well we shared the ball."
 
How It Happened
Ben Richardson had the hot hand in the early going, hitting a trio of three-pointers to help propel Loyola to a 22-11 advantage. Five straight Bears points trimmed the Rambler lead to six, but Loyola used a 10-5 spurt, capped by five consecutive points from Clayton Custer, to bump the advantage to 32-21.
 
Minutes later, with Loyola holding a 41-32 edge, Donte Ingram opened up a 9-0 run with a three-pointer that also featured treys from Custer and Bruno Skokna, as the Ramblers extended their lead to 50-32, the largest of the half. Missouri State, which shot 68 percent (17-for-25) from the field in the opening period, closed the half on an 11-2 run, however, to draw within 52-43 at the break.
 
After the teams exchanged buckets to open the second half, Ingram sparked another run with a three-pointer as Loyola used a 10-2 surge to break open a 64-47 lead.
 
The Bears mounted one last charge, closing within 10, at 72-62, on a three by Jarrid Rhodes. But, the Ramblers gained even more separation and put the game out of reach thanks to a 15-2 spurt that included another three from Ingram as well as a nifty alley-oop from Custer to Ingram, as Loyola broke open a commanding 87-64 advantage.
 
A Look At The Numbers

• Custer topped the 20-point plateau for the third straight contest, finishing with a game-high 23 points, on 9-of-11 shooting, while also handing out six assists.
• Marques Townes added 14 points, six boards, and four assists, while Cameron Krutwig pitched in 13 points and seven rebounds.
• Aundre Jackson produced 12 points off the bench, hitting 5-of-6 shots from the field, and Ingram and Richardson pumped in 11 points apiece to round out the balanced Rambler attack.
• Cameron Satterwhite provided some valuable minutes off the bench, snagging a career-best seven rebounds and pitching in four points and four assists.
• Mustafa Lawrence scored 19 points to lead Missouri State, which dropped its fifth straight game.

 
Up Next
Loyola concludes a two-game homestand when it hosts Drake on February 7 in the annual Jesuit Jam game. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised live on NBC Sports Chicago.