ST. LOUIS (March 4, 2022) - One week after meeting for the regular season title, Loyola and Northern Iowa square off Saturday afternoon in St. Louis with a berth in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship title game on the line. The Ramblers, who have won eight of their last 11 games at neutral sites, are attempting to reach the championship game of Arch Madness for the third time in the last five seasons. Loyola is 2-2 in MVC Championship semifinal-round games.

Since joining The Valley for the 2013-14 season, the Ramblers are 11-6 (.647) all time at Arch Madness and claimed the championship in 2018 and 2021. Loyola is aiming for back-to-back Arch Madness titles and would become the ninth team overall, and first since Bradley in 2019 and 2020, to capture consecutive MVC Championship crowns. 

Drew Valentine, the youngest coach in NCAA Division I basketball at 30 years of age, is the second skipper in program history to pilot Loyola to 20 wins in his first season on the job, joining Tom Haggerty, who guided the Ramblers to 23 victories in 1945-46. With yesterday's win over Bradley, Valentine tied Haggerty for the most wins by a Loyola first-year coach, with 23.

In two games versus Northern Iowa this season, the Ramblers are averaging 90.5 ppg and shooting 56.4 percent (66-for-117) from the field and 50.8 percent (30-for-59) from three-point land.

Loyola – Northern Iowa – The Series

After dropping nine of the first 11 games in the series with Northern Iowa, Loyola has flipped the script and taken 12 of the last 15 matchups, including eight of the last ten games.

Loyola and Northern Iowa are meeting for the third time in Arch Madness action and they have split the previous two postseason matchups. In 2018, the Ramblers pulled out a 54-50 victory in the quarterfinals on the way to their first MVC Championship crown. The teams also met in 2015, with UNI taking a 63-49 decision.

A week ago today, the teams played an epic contest for the regular-season title, which Northern Iowa claimed thanks to a 102-96 overtime victory in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Lucas Williamson scored a career-best 29 points to lead the Ramblers, who were whistled for a whopping 32 fouls.

Scouting Northern Iowa

The Panthers have won each of their last five contests, and 10 of their last 11, heading into Saturday's semifinal showdown with Loyola. In fact, Northern Iowa's only setback during that 11-game stretch was an 85-58 loss at Loyola on February 13.

UNI is 1-2 on neutral floors this year and picked up its first victory at a neutral site with yesterday's 78-65 decision over Illinois State. 

Loyola and Northern Iowa are two of the top scoring and shooting teams in The Valley this season and over the last four outings, the Panthers are lighting up the scoreboard for 90.8 ppg.

MVC Player of the Year AJ Green leads Northern Iowa with 19.0 points per game and is shooting at a 38.1 percent (83-for-218) clip from three-point range. Sophomore forward Noah Carter adds 14.8 ppg and 4.1 rpg.

Up Next

With a win, Loyola would advance to Sunday's championship game at 1 p.m. versus the winner of the Missouri State versus Drake game.