CHICAGO (January 19, 2021) - Loyola, which has won seven of its last eight games, including each of the last three, makes the short trip east on the Toll Road to face Valparaiso Wednesday night. The Ramblers have captured three of their last five road games in Missouri Valley Conference action and are opening a stretch of five consecutive games away from home.

With his fifth rebound at Indiana State January 11, senior center Cameron Krutwig became just the fourth player in MVC history with 1,500 career points, 800 career rebounds and 300 career assists. The other players in Valley history to accomplish the feat are Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird and Hersey Hawkins. Only 12 others in the NCAA have achieved that statistical trifecta in the past 10 years.

Loyola's depth has been on display all season and eight players average at least 5.0 points per game. The Rambler reserves are accounting for 30.1 points per outing this season and have scored 40 or more points four times. Over the last two contests, Loyola's bench has totaled a whopping 87 points (43.5 per game).

Since the start of the 2017-18 campaign, Loyola owns the most wins (83) of any of the 13 NCAA Division I teams in the state of Illinois. Bradley ranks second with 72 wins, followed by UIC (61), Southern Illinois (60) and Illinois (56) to round out the top five teams.

Loyola – Valparaiso – The Series

Longtime rivals Loyola and Valparaiso are matching up for the 58th time in a series that dates all the way back to 1922. The Ramblers hold a commanding 41-16 advantage in the all-time series and have won seven of the last eight meetings, all of which have come since Valpo joined the Missouri Valley Conference.

Loyola is 20-7 when playing the Crusaders on their home court and has captured four straight meetings at the Athletics-Recreation Center since a 66-62 loss in overtime there on February 21, 2012.

The three meetings between the teams a season ago were decided by a grand total of six points, with all of them being determined by a single possession.

When the teams last met, in the MVC quarterfinals in St. Louis last March, Loyola couldn't hold on to an 18-point, second-half lead and lost a 74-73 decision in overtime. Keith Clemons led the Ramblers with 28 points.

Scouting Valparaiso

After making a run to the MVC Championship title game last March, Valpo has struggled this season, winning just three of its first 11 outings.

When playing at the ARC, Valpo is 3-2 this season, but has dropped its last two contests there, both in Valley play, to Missouri State.

The sophomore tandem of forwards Ben Krikke (11.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and Donovan Clay (11.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) leads a Crusaders team that has shot just 42.3 percent (270-for-639) from the field and 28.1 percent (74-for-263) from long range through 11 games in 2020-21. 

Up Next

Loyola continues its five-game road trip when it visits Bradley, January 24 and 25.