TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (January 11, 2021)
 
In Short
Cameron Krutwig scored a team-high 16 points and added eight rebounds to lead Loyola University Chicago (8-3, 3-1 MVC) to a gritty, 58-48 victory over Indiana State (4-7, 1-5 MVC) tonight in Missouri Valley Conference action at the Hulman Center in the finale of a two-game series.The Ramblers, who have won five of their last six outings, smothered the Sycamores, holding them to just 35.6 percent (16-for-45) shooting from the field.
 
Coach Moser's Thoughts
"Both teams were guarding at a high level tonight which is a classic Valley game. I thought we took care of the ball and were much better against the press tonight and we found a way to win when we didn't shoot the ball well. I thought Krutwig was the difference tonight.
 
How It Happened
Back-to-back baskets from Aher Uguak and Cameron Krutwig erased an 8-5 deficit and moved Loyola ahead, 9-8, a little over five minutes into the game, but Randy Miller Jr. and Tobias Howard Jr. combined for all nine points in a Sycamores run that gave them a 17-9 edge and forced Loyola to burn its first timeout of the night.
 
Keith Clemons shot the Ramblers right back into the game however, hitting a pair of triples to account for all of the tallies in a 6-1 spurt that shrunk the gap to 18-15.
 
Using its defense to set up offense, Loyola finished the period with a flourish, notching the final seven points to turn a four-point hole into a 27-24 lead at the break. During that run, Indiana State was harassed into misfiring on five shots, while committing three turnovers.
 
Although the Ramblers shot just 4-for-14 from three-point land in the first half, they limited the Sycamores to 37.5 percent (9-for-24) accuracy from the field.
 
A steal and layup courtesy of Lucas Williamson opened the second-half scoring to bump Loyola's lead to 29-24. After that hoop, Aher Uguak asserted himself at the offensive end of the floor, scoring seven points and assisting on another basket, during an 11-8 stretch as the Ramblers ran their lead to 40-32 with 13:53 remaining in the contest.
 
Indiana State cut into the Loyola lead, getting within three points on a trio of occasions, the last of which came at 47-44, but the Ramblers gave themselves some breathing room thanks to consecutive hoops from Krutwig and Williamson to stretch the advantage to 51-44 with 3:22 left to go.
 
Loyola cemented the outcome by converting 7 of 8 free throws in the closing minute to win for the fifth time in the last six outings.
 
A Look At The Numbers

• With his fifth and final rebound of the first half, Krutwig became just the fourth player in the storied history of the Missouri Valley Conference to accumulate 1,500 career points, 800 career rebounds and 300 career assists. The other names on that list are all superstars – Basketball Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird and Hersey Hawkins.
• Uguak finished with nine points and three rebounds, while Williamson pitched in eight points, four boards and three assists.
• Clemons also matched a season high with eight points off the bench.
• Jake LaRavia led Indiana State with 11 points.

 
Up Next
The Ramblers are back at Gentile Arena this weekend when they entertain preseason MVC favorite Northern Iowa, January 16 and 17.