Boxscore (PDF)

CHICAGO (February 5, 2019)
 
In Short
Marques Townes scored a career-high 32 points and Cameron Krutwig added 19 to help Loyola University Chicago (15-9, 8-3 MVC) overcome a slow start and roll to an 86-64 victory over Drake (17-7, 6-5 MVC) tonight at Gentile Arena. With the victory, the Ramblers run their home-court winning streak to eight games overall and 13 straight in Missouri Valley Conference action.
 
How It Happened
Much like the previous meeting between the teams this season when Drake connected on its first 10 field goal attempts, the Bulldogs came out firing and raced out to a 12-5 lead. Loyola answered back however, using a 14-5 run of its own, that included threes from Cooper Kaifes and Clayton Custer, to surge ahead, 19-17. 
 
Later in the period, 14 straight Ramblers points, the last five of which came courtesy of Townes, were part of a larger 18-3 run that turned a two-point deficit into a 39-26 lead, Loyola's largest of the game to that point. Townes was sensational in the opening 20 minutes, accounting for 21 points. 
 
The Ramblers' lead would increase to 16 when Kaifes hit nothing but net on a desperation heave from 79 feet at the buzzer to send the hosts into the locker room with a 48-32 advantage. 
 
Loyola wound up shooting 57.1 percent (16-for-28) from the field, including 70 percent (7-for-10) from beyond the arc, in the first half and committed just two turnovers in a well-played period. Meanwhile, Drake sank 9 of its 15 attempts from long distance, but was held to 2-for-12 accuracy from two-point range. Helping the Ramblers to that double-digit edge at the break was their 16-0 advantage in points off turnovers.
 
Two Krutwig baskets followed by a pair of foul shots from Townes to open the second half extended Loyola's lead to 54-32, but that cushion quickly evaporated as the Bulldogs out-scored the Ramblers 18-5 over the next six-plus minutes to get within 59-50 with 11 minutes remaining.
 
After the teams traded baskets, Krutwig tallied four points sandwiched around another three from Kaifes to bump the Ramblers' lead back to 68-52 and force a Drake timeout. Following an ensuing Bulldogs basket, Loyola put the contest out of reach thanks to five consecutive points from Custer and the Bulldogs would get no closer than 18 points the remainder of the game.
 
A Look At The Numbers

• Townes' 32-point effort was the first 30-point game and best by a Rambler since Milton Doyle went for 35 points at Bradley January 7, 2017. In addition to his point production tonight, Townes chipped in eight rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals, hitting 11-of-18 shots from the field and all four of his attempts from three-point land.
• Krutwig contributed nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks to go with his 19 points, 16 of which came in the second period.
• Custer bounced back from a rough night at Illinois State Saturday to tally 14 points, hitting both of his three-point tries, while Kaifes finished with 12 points, on 4-of-7 accuracy from downtown, to round out Loyola's double-digit scorers.
• The Ramblers shot 71.4 percent (10-for-14) from three-point range and 55.4 percent (31-for-56) overall and committed just five turnovers on the evening.
• Loyola held Drake's leading scorer Nick McGlynn to six points, nearly 10 below his season average.

 
Up Next
The Ramblers open a stretch that will see them play four of their next six games on the road, beginning February 10 with a trip to Valparaiso. That game will be televised live on ESPNU at 3 p.m. CT.