Jan. 21, 2015
Box Score 
| Highlights | Postgame Comments
CHICAGO - Visiting Evansville used a 21-5 run midway through the second half to open up a 10-point lead and held off a late Loyola charge in a 65-56 win over the Ramblers tonight at Gentile Arena. Devon Turk scored 14 points to lead Loyola (13-6, 3-4 Valley). The Aces improve to 14-5 (4-3) with the win.
Defense dominated the early stages of the game and Loyola led 8-6 on a Jeff White jumper over nine minutes into the game. The game was tied at 14 with 5:47 left in the half before the Ramblers were able to find their rhythm. A Turk three-pointer gave LU the lead and two free throws from Christian Thomas and Montel James put the home team up by seven (21-14) with 2:46 to play. However, after scoring 14 points over the first 17:32, Evansville closed the half strong, using two three-pointers from Taylor Stafford to take a 24-23 lead into the locker room at halftime. Loyola shot only 33% in the period but forced the Aces into 11 first-half turnovers.
After Evansville crept out to a 32-28 lead early in the second half, the Ramblers got hot again. A three-pointer from Jay Knuth kickstarted an 12-2 spurt that gave the home team a 40-34 lead at the 12:07 mark. Five different players scored in the spurt, capped by a Thomas bucket off a Donte Ingram feed. After the teams traded baskets to 42-36, the Aces made their run. Four straight points from Adam Wing forged a 42-all deadlock and a steal and lay-up from Duane Gibson later made it a 57-47 Evansville lead with 4:12 to go.
Turk answered with a three-pointer and Ingram hit a trey moments later to make it a five-point game with 2:15 on the clock. A steal by White gave LU an opportunity to draw even closer but it was unable to convert. White hit two free throws after a defensive stop to cut the deficit to three (59-56) with 56 ticks left but D.J. Balentine knifed through the lane for just his second field goal of the game to make it a five-point game and Evansville hit four free throws to account for the final margin.
Turk led the Ramblers with 14 points and knocked down a pair from the arc to move him into a tie with David Bailey and Majak Kou for second on Loyola's all-time list. James added 11 points and Thomas finished with eight points and six rebounds. Blake Simmons led Evansville with 13 points and Egidijus Mockevicius added 12 points and 13 rebounds, as the Aces enjoyed a 38-23 advantage on the boards. Balentine, the Valley's leading scorer at 20.3 ppg entering the game, was held to just six by a swarming Rambler defense.
Loyola hits the road this weekend for a Noon game at Indiana State on Saturday afternoon.