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CHICAGO - Milton Doyle finished with 19 points and eight assists and Loyola took control of the game with a 12-2 run late in the first in a 77-67 win over UIC this afternoon at the UIC Pavilion. The win is the third consecutive road victory for the Ramblers (5-2), who have won eight of the last 10 meetings with their crosstown neighbor. UIC slips to 2-7 with the loss.

After opening the game with three straight turnovers and spotting UIC the first five points of the game, Loyola came to life. Montel James had seven points in a 10-0 Rambler run that gave them the lead and the spurt increased to 19-3 over a 9:20 span, culminating in a Doyle triple that made it a 19-8 score with 8:20 left in the half. The Flames answered immediately, ripping off the next 11 to forge a 19-19 tie, but two Christian Thomas free throws started the decisive run, with the senior accounting for six of the 12 points in the 12-2 spree that sent the Ramblers into intermission with a 31-23 lead. Loyola shook off eight, first-half turnovers by knocking down 12-of-20 (60%) from the floor, with Doyle, James and Thomas accounting for 23 of the team's 31 points.

UIC got the first basket of the second half to make it a six-point game but Doyle fed James for a dunk and then buried a three-pointer from right in front of the Rambler bench to bump the lead back to double figures. The Flames managed to close within five (40-35) on a Jake Wiegand basket but Earl Peterson converted in transition and Donte Ingram hit a trey from the top of the key to get the lead back to 10 with just under 14 minutes left.

Paris Burns scored five consecutive points as the home team tried to make one more run but Doyle answered with a basket and two technical free throws as the Ramblers continued to keep UIC at an arms length. The lead ballooned to as many as 14 and Loyola was able to salt it away at the line.

Loyola finished the game shooting 54.5% from the floor and knocked down 20-of-25 from the foul line in the second half. Its defense was also outstanding, holding the Flames to 38% shooting.

As he has been all season, Doyle was efficient on the offensive end, hitting 5-of-10 from the floor, including both of his three-point attempts, and 7-of-10 from the charity stripe en route to his 19 points. Thomas racked up 17 points and seven boards in support while Peterson (season-high 12 points) and James (11 points, three blocks) also reached double digits.

The Ramblers take a little break this week for final exams before returning to action next Saturday night (Dec. 13) against Jackson State. Tip off from Gentile Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.