DES MOINES (February 14, 2021)
 
In Short
Host Drake (20-2, 11-2 MVC) rallied from a 10-point, second-half deficit to force overtime and Tremell Murphy's basket with 2:51 left in the extra session gave Drake the lead for good in a 51-50 victory over No. 22/23 Loyola University Chicago (18-4, 13-2 MVC) this afternoon at the Knapp Center. The loss halts the Ramblers' 11-game winning streak and is their first since a January 10 setback at Indiana State (76-71).
 
Coach Moser's Thoughts
"We just had so many uncharacteristic turnovers and definitely had our chances but just didn't get it done. It's very, very hard to play against one of the top teams in the country, a Quad 1 team, a second night in a row."
 
How It Happened
Defense reigned early with neither team shooting better than 33 percent from the field in the first seven minutes. Drake scored the game's first six points, but two three-pointers from Lucas Williamson were part of an 8-0 spurt that moved Loyola out front, 8-6.
 
Drake took a 14-12 lead on Tremell Murphy's basket, but Cameron Krutwig scored six points and Aher Uguak buried a three during a string of 11 unanswered points that provided Loyola with a 23-14 lead, the largest of the game to that point.
 
The Bulldogs worked their way back and made it a one possession game at the half, with Loyola on top, 25-22. 
 
Loyola's staunch defense limited Drake to 30 percent (9-for-30) shooting in the first half, and pressured the Bulldogs into misfiring on all nine of their tries from three-point range.
 
In the second half, a string of nine unanswered Loyola points, four of which came courtesy of Braden Norris, turned a one-point Ramblers lead into a 42-32 advantage with 7:44 remaining in regulation.
 
However, Loyola had an uncharacteristic final few minutes, committing seven turnovers in the final 7:44 and Drake finished regulation on a 12-3 run, with its final points coming on Roman Penn's jumper with 1:23 left to tie the game and force the extra period.
 
Drake struck first in overtime on another bucket by Penn, but Marquise Kennedy's conventional three-point play moved Loyola back ahead, 48-47. Murphy followed with the go-ahead basket and another basket from Darnell Brodie extended the Drake lead to 51-48. Two free throws from Braden Norris brought the Ramblers within a point with 1:53 left to play, but despite getting stops at the defensive end, Loyola came up empty on several scoring opportunities.
 
A Look At The Numbers

• Krutwig posted his third double-double in four games, finishing with 11 points and a career-high-tying 14 rebounds to go with three assists and three blocks.
• Uguak delivered 11 points and Williamson added 10 points.
• Loyola, which entered the game with the No. 1 scoring defense in the country, limited Drake to 33.3 percent (19-for-57) shooting from the field and 15.8 percent accuracy (3-for-19) from beyond the arc. 
• The Ramblers were done in by a season-high 19 turnovers.

 
Up Next
Loyola opens up a three-game homestand to finish out the regular season on Wednesday (Feb. 17) when it hosts Valparaiso at 7 p.m. CT