CHICAGO (February 1, 2022) - Loyola returns to Gentile Arena Wednesday night to take on Illinois State and is looking to bounce back from only its second setback in the last 14 outings overall. The Ramblers have won 35 of their last 36 (.972) contests overall at home and are 24-1 (.960) in their last 25 Missouri Valley Conference outings at Gentile Arena.

Since the start of the 2017-18 campaign, Loyola has posted a remarkable 38-3 record (.927) at home in Valley play.

Loyola's 44-39 victory at Southern Illinois last Thursday night marked the program's first win when scoring 44 or fewer points since a 41-31 decision over Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) on January 30, 1950.

The Ramblers have won 22 straight games versus teams from the state of Illinois since a 68-63 defeat at Southern Illinois on January 29, 2020. The Ramblers have also won 11 consecutive games versus MVC foes from the Land of Lincoln.

Finishing strong has been a staple of recent Rambler squads heading into the month of March. In 2020-21, Loyola had won 14 of its previous 15 contests heading into March, while going 6-1 in its final seven contests prior to Arch Madness in 2019-20, 3-1 in the final four outings of 2018-19 and 14-1 again in 2017-18 heading into postseason play.

Current Loyola director of player development Jake Baughman, who played for the Ramblers from 2016-21, is a native of Bloomington, Ill.

Loyola – Illinois State – The Series

Wednesday's game will be the 28th meeting between Loyola and Illinois State in a series that dates back to 1980. Although the Ramblers trail the all-time series, 15-12, they have won eight of the last nine matchups, including each of the last four.

Loyola is 8-6 against Illinois State in Rogers Park and has won the last five encounters there since suffering an 81-59 loss on January 1, 2017. The Ramblers have dominated the last three contests at Gentile Arena, winning by an average of 25.3 points.

Last season, Loyola swept the season series, with both contests played in Chicago, winning each game by at least 30 points. When the teams last paired up, on December 28, 2020 at Gentile Arena, Cameron Krutwig went for 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the Ramblers' 86-55 victory.

Scouting Illinois State

Illinois State has hit a rough patch and has come up on the short end in seven of its last nine outings, including three straight heading into Wednesday's game in the Windy City. Four of those seven losses have come by five or less points.

Head coach Dan Muller's club has won just once in eight tries on the road this season and is winless in five road games in Valley play in 2021-22. Over the last three season, the Redbirds are 4-19 (.174) in MVC contests on the road. 

Junior guard Antonio Reeves has emerged as one of the most dynamic players in The Valley and is averaging a team-leading 20.2 points per game, while shooting 40.4 percent (57-for-141) from three-point range. Redshirt sophomore forward Liam McChesney has put up 16.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg in the last two outings.

Up Next

The Ramblers hit the road again for a rematch with Missouri State on February 6 in Springfield, Mo. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. on ESPNU.