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CHICAGO (January 13, 2019) - Off to its best start in conference play since kicking off the 2006-07 Horizon League campaign with three wins in its first four league games, Loyola hosts Valparaiso, which sits atop the Missouri Valley Conference leaderboard, Tuesday night. The Ramblers bring a four-game home-court winning streak into the showdown with the Crusaders.

Loyola has won nine straight games in Valley play at Gentile Arena, with the last loss coming at the hands of Indiana State (61-57), January 3, 2018. Interestingly, the Ramblers have not won nine consecutive home league games since capturing 12 straight, February 1, 1984 through February 8, 1986, as a member of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.

Over the last four games at Gentile Arena, Loyola's offense has been incredibly efficient, hitting 58.5 percent (113-for-193) of its field goal attempts and 43.1 percent (31-for-72) of its three-point tries, while putting up 75.3 points per game.

Loyola – Valparaiso – The Series

Tuesday's matchup between Loyola and Valparaiso is the 52nd meeting in a series that began in 1922. The Ramblers possess a 36-15 edge in the series and have emerged victorious in three of the last four meetings. When the teams last met, on Valentine's Day in Chicago last year, Loyola held off a Valpo rally in the second half to pick up an 80-71 win. Clayton Custer scored a game-high 20 points and Cameron Krutwig contributed 18 points to pace the Ramblers, who turned the ball over just six times and shot 53.6 percent from the field.

Since joining the MVC, Loyola is 2-0 versus Valparaiso and all told, the Ramblers are 18-7 against the Crusaders when playing in the Windy City and snapped a four-game losing streak to Valpo in Chicago with that aforementioned 80-71 victory last February.

Scouting Valparaiso

Valpo split its first 12 games of the season before rattling off five consecutive victories since Christmas. Two of the Crusaders' four Valley wins have come by four points or less.

The Crusaders have fared well on the road this year, and are 4-2 on their opponents' home floor. Valpo has prevailed in four of its last five true road games.

Five players are scoring in double figures for Valpo, led by swingman Ryan Fazekas (12.7 ppg) and center Derrik Smits (12.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg).Valpo ranks second in The Valley, behind only Loyola, in scoring defense (67.1 ppg) and in league play, the Crusaders are yielding a league-best 58.2 ppg.

Up Next

Loyola opens up a two-game road swing Saturday (Jan. 19) when it heads to Indiana State.