Boxscore (PDF)

CHICAGO (January 30, 2019)
 
In Short
Marques Townes and Cameron Krutwig combined to score Loyola University Chicago's (14-8, 7-2 MVC) final 12 points, with the final six coming from Krutwig, as the Ramblers rallied from a six-point deficit in the final 6:36 to escape with a 61-60 victory over UNI (9-13, 4-5 MVC) tonight at Gentile Arena. With temperatures near record lows outside, a raucous crowd of 3,011 braved the elements to allow Loyola to win its 12^thstraight home league game and seventh straight contest overall at Gentile Arena.
 
Coach Moser's Thoughts
"First of all, I want to thank the fans and students that made the atmosphere what it was tonight. They made a difference. I've always said there's a million ways to win a game and now there's a million and one with Krutwig hitting his first career three. He made some monster plays and did what great players do – take charge down the stretch."
 
How It Happened
A pair of three-pointers from Bruno Skokna and four points from Townes helped the Ramblers sprint out to an early 12-3 lead before UNI stormed back to grab a 16-15 advantage. The teams battled back and forth for a brief period until an Isaiah Brown bucket put the Panthers ahead to stay for the period, at 23-22. 
 
UNI shot 56 percent (14-for-25) from the field, including 50 percent (4-for-8) from three-point range, in the first half, while Loyola, which shot a solid 47.6 percent (10-for-21) from the field, connected on only 33.3 percent (3-for-9) of its attempts from behind the arc. 
 
Loyola trailed 33-26 at the intermission, then watched Wyatt Lohaus drain a three-pointer to open the second-half scoring and put the Ramblers in a 10-point hole (36-26). An Aher Uguak block breathed some excitement back into the Gentile Arena crowd and helped spark a run of five straight points that sliced the deficit to 36-31.
 
Minutes later, 10 unanswered points, capped by a conventional three-point play from Krutwig, allowed the Ramblers to surge ahead, 48-46, for their first lead of the half, but UNI would score nine of the next 10 points to reclaim the lead, at 55-49.
 
But, like a champion, Loyola responded. Three free throws and a clutch three from Townes comprised a 6-0 burst that knotted the score at 55-55 with 3:59 left to play.
 
Then, following two scoreless minutes, Krutwig's jumper with 1:40 remaining put the Ramblers ahead to stay and he sealed the outcome by draining his first career three-pointer, hitting nothing but net from the right corner, just beating the shot clock with 48 seconds remaining, for a 60-55 advantage.
 
A Look At The Numbers

• Krutwig tied a career high with 22 points and added 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. The 6-foot-9 center also added five assists and a pair of blocks and has now scored 22 points in each of the last two outings.
• Townes was sensational yet again, finishing with 19 points, to go with three boards, three assists and a pair of steals, and Skokna dropped in 11 points, hitting 3-of-4 shots from beyond the arc.
• Loyola shot 52.2 percent (12-for-23) from the field in the second half, limiting UNI to just 34.6 percent (9-for-26) in the final 20 minutes.
• Luke McDonnell led the Panthers with 16 points.

 
Up Next
Loyola makes a short trip downstate Saturday (Feb. 2) to tangle with Illinois State. Tip-off is slated for 9 p.m. CT on ESPN2.