CHICAGO (January 9, 2020) - Loyola, which has won 19 of its last 21 home games in Missouri Valley Conference play, opens up a brief two-game homestand Saturday afternoon when it hosts Evansville. Each of the Ramblers' first three Valley games has been decided by four points or less, with the three contests determined by a combined 10 points. Loyola has commenced MVC action with a 3-1 record just one other time, in 2018-19.
 
After posting an 11-16 (.407) MVC record at Gentile Arena in its first three seasons in the league, Loyola has gone 23-5 (.821) at home in conference competition since the start of the 2016-17 campaign. 
 The Ramblers have captured 13 of their last 14, including each of the last nine, contests at Gentile Arena in the opening month of the calendar year. Over the last pair of outings, Loyola has committed just 12 total turnovers, six each versus Missouri State and Drake, while forcing 19 turnovers (38 total) versus each of those clubs.
 
In its last two meetings with Evansville in Rogers Park, Loyola is averaging 68.0 points per game against the Purple Aces, while connecting on 52.7 percent (49-for-93) of its field goal attempts and 50 percent (13-for-26) of its tries from three-point range.
  
Evansville interim head coach Bennie Seltzer was an assistant coach on Porter Moser's staff at Loyola during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.
 
Loyola – Evansville – The Series
Longtime rivals Loyola and Evansville are matching up for the 50th time in a series that dates back to 1979. Although the Ramblers trail the series, 28-21, they have claimed four of the last six meetings between the teams. Since joining the Missouri Valley Conference, Loyola is 5-7 against Evansville.
 
Against the Aces in Chicago, the Ramblers are 11-11 all time but have won each of the last three outings at Gentile Arena.
 
When the teams last met, on February 20, 2019, Loyola, which converted 7 of 11 shots from beyond the arc for the night, built a 43-29 halftime lead on the way to a 70-58 victory behind 21 points from Marques Townes.
 
Scouting Evansville
Evansville opened the year by winning eight of its first 11 games, including an upset of then-No. 1 Kentucky, 67-64, on November 12 at Rupp Arena. However, the Purple Aces have fallen on hard times recently, losing four of their last five contests, and are coming off a 72-52 setback versus Bradley Wednesday evening.  
 
The Aces, who are surrendering a league-worst 76.4 ppg, are 3-2 in true road games this season, but dropped their only Valley game away from home, 65-52, to Missouri State on New Year's Eve.
 
Sophomore forward DeAndre Williams (16.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.9 apg) and senior guard K.J. Riley (12.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.5 apg) lead a high-octane Evansville offense that ranks second in The Valley with 74.9 ppg.
 
Up Next
Loyola hosts Southern Illinois, which is coached by former Ramblers associate head coach Bryan Mullins, January 16.