ST. LOUIS, Mo (March 8, 2019)
 
In Short
Top-seeded Loyola University Chicago (20-12) jumped out to an early double-digit lead and never looked back, coasting to a 67-54 victory over ninth-seeded Valparaiso (15-18) in the quarterfinals of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship this afternoon at Enterprise Center.  The Ramblers have now won three straight and advance on to tomorrow's semifinals.
 
Coach Moser's Thoughts
"You've really got to defend in this setting and I'm excited about how we started defensively because I thought that dictated everything."
 
How It Happened
Loyola got off to a blazing start, with a Lucas Williamson triple punctuating a game-opening 7-0 run that prompted a Valparaiso timeout with just over two and a half minutes gone.  Franklin Agunanne provided a spark off the bench, knocking down a pair of free throws before converting inside to push the margin to nine, 13-4.  Cooper Kaifes connected from distance just over a minute later to extend the gap to 18-4 at the 12:35 mark.
 
Valparaiso took advantage of a brief cold spell for the Maroon & Gold, battling back to within nine, 20-11, on a second-chance score from Jaume Sorolla.  Cameron Krutwig provided the answer, finishing on back-to-back possessions to reestablish a 13-point lead, 24-11.  A three from Bruno Skokna upped the margin to 20 (33-13) as Loyola held Valparaiso scoreless for over five minutes en route to taking a commanding 40-18 lead into halftime. 
 
Consecutive scores from Townes sparked an 8-0 surge that gave Loyola its largest lead of the day to that point, 56-29.   Valparaiso used a run of its own, rattling off nine straight points, to chip the Ramblers' lead to 18 (56-38), but would never threaten the rest of the way as Loyola secured a berth in the semifinal round.
 
Inside The Box Score
- Krutwig paced Loyola on the afternoon with 18 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks. 
- Townes added 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Williamson rounded out a trio of Ramblers in double figures with 10 points and three rebounds, hitting on 4-of-5 attempts from the field.
- Daniel Sackey led Valparaiso with 11 points.
- Loyola is the first team in Arch Madness history to hold four straight teams to 54 points or less.
 
Up Next
Loyola moves on in the State Farm MVC Championship and will face the winner of the matchup between No. 4 Missouri State and No. 5 Bradley in a 2:30 p.m. matchup tomorrow afternoon on CBS Sports Network.