CHICAGO (January 28, 2019) - Loyola, which has claimed 20 of its last 23 (.870) league games, looks to maintain sole possession of first place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings when it closes out a two-game homestand versus UNI Wednesday night. The Ramblers carry a six-game home-court winning streak into their final game of January, a month in which they are 13-4 (.765) over the last two seasons.

The confines of Gentile Arena have certainly been friendly to Loyola, which has won 11 straight MVC games there. Loyola has not won a dozen straight home league games since February 1, 1984 through February 8, 1986, when it rattled off 12 consecutive wins on its home floor as a member of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.

In their last two meetings with UNI at Gentile Arena, the Ramblers are putting up 73.5 ppg on 54.2 percent (52-for-96) shooting from the field, including 53.1 percent (17-for-32) from beyond the arc.

Loyola – UNI – The Series

Wednesday's game is the 19th meeting between Loyola and UNI in a series that dates back to 1994. Although the Panthers are in possession of a 10-8 edge in the all-time series, the Ramblers have claimed six of the last seven meetings. Four of the last seven games between the programs have been decided by six points or less. Since joining the MVC, Loyola is 7-5 against UNI.

When the teams last matched up, in the quarterfinal round of the MVC Championship last March, Marques Townes and Donte Ingram recorded 13 points apiece to help the Ramblers erase a six-point, first-half deficit for a 54-50 victory.

Loyola is 5-3 versus UNI when playing in the Windy City and has captured four of the last five, including each of the last three, at Gentile Arena. In the last matchup in Chicago, Clayton Custer netted a game-high 21 points and the Ramblers limited the Panthers to 19 percent (4-for-21) accuracy from three-point range on the way to a 70-47 decision.

Scouting UNI

UNI is 3-2 in its last five games after dropping eight of its previous 11 contests. On the road this season, the Panthers have won just once in seven tries, with that lone victory coming at Bradley (65-47) in The Valley opener January 2. UNI has stumbled in its last three true road contests.

Freshman guard AJ Green is the lone Panther averaging double-figure points at 14.9 ppg, which leads all Valley freshmen.

Save for a rough outing at Southern Illinois (20 turnovers), head coach Ben Jacobson's club has turned the ball over just 32 times in its previous four games.

Up Next

Loyola makes the short trek downstate to Illinois State for a 9 p.m. tip-off Saturday (Feb. 2) on ESPN2.