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CHICAGO (March 15, 2019) - Fresh off its first postseason victory in four years, seventh-seeded Loyola University Chicago will look to keep its run in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament alive on Friday evening when it battles second-seeded Missouri State in the quarterfinals.  The Ramblers and Lady Bears are set for a 6 p.m. tip-off at TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Ill.

Loyola will be making its first appearance in the quarterfinal round since 2015-16 and is looking to book its first semifinal round berth in program history.
 

LAST TIME OUT
Loyola shot just shy of 57 percent (33-of-58) as it used a first-quarter run to take command before holding off a late Evansville rally, defeating the Purple Aces by a final score of 90-80 on Thursday evening.  Abby O'Connor led a group of five Ramblers to score in double figures in the victory, Loyola's first in the postseason since 2014-15, with 22 points, 10 rebounds and a career-best four blocks.
 

LOYOLA – MISSOURI STATE – THE SERIES
Loyola and Missouri State will meet for the 15th time on Friday evening in the Quad Cities.  The Lady Bears have ripped off 11 straight victories to open up an 11-3 (.786) lead in the all-time series.  Loyola's last win against Missouri State came in a 63-61 nail-biter on January 12, 2014 in the first meeting between the two institutions as Valley rivals.  Missouri State picked up an 84-49 win over Loyola back on January 25 at JQH Arena in Springfield, Mo. before using a second-half surge to earn an 85-58 triumph on February 24 in Rogers Park.  Ellie Rice led the Ramblers in the two matchups during the regular season, averaging 10.0 points and 3.0 assists.
 

DON'T SLEEP ON THESE BEARS
Missouri State, which received an automatic bye to the quarterfinals, brings an overall mark of 20-9 into tonight's matchup. The Lady Bears battled through a 4-7 non-conference slate before going 16-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play.

Missouri State, which enters the postseason having won six of seven games, defeated Evansville, 88-46, and Indiana State, 76-66, on the final weekend of the regular season. 

First Team All-MVC honoree Danielle Gitzen leads the Lady Bear attack, averaging a team-best 12.4 points on a 42.5 percent (131-of-308) clip from the field. Alexa Willard (11.6 ppg) and Brice Calip (10.2 ppg) also average in double figures, while Valley All-Freshman Team selection Jazmine Franklin chips in 9.7 points and 7.3 rebounds for a Missouri State offense that ranks second in the MVC in scoring at 72.5 ppg.


UP NEXT
With a victory on Friday, Loyola would move on to the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, where it would face off against the winner of the night's final quarterfinal round matchup between third-seeded UNI and sixth-seeded Southern Illinois at 4 p.m. on Saturday.