PEORIA, Ill. (February 29, 2020)
 
In Short
Marquise Kennedy hit a pair of free throws with 31 seconds remaining to provide the difference as Loyola University Chicago (21-10, 13-5 MVC) squandered a 13-point lead but then rallied back to earn a 67-66 victory over Bradley (20-11, 11-7 MVC) this afternoon at Carver Arena in the regular-season finale for both teams. The win keeps alive Loyola's hopes for a third straight Missouri Valley Conference regular-season crown pending the outcome of the Northern Iowa versus Drake game tonight.
 
How It Happened
Loyola scored 10 unanswered points, with Tate Hall and Keith Clemons hitting three-pointers during that run, as the Ramblers grabbed a 10-4 lead that eventually grew to 14-6. Bradley charged right back however, rattling off eight straight to even the score at 14-14.
 
After the teams exchanged baskets, a Lucas Williamson layup put the Ramblers ahead to stay, at 18-16, in the opening period. Shortly thereafter a Ja'Shon Henry basket cut the Loyola lead to 21-20, but a pair of threes from Hall and another from Williamson were a key part of a 15-4 run that extended the lead to 36-24, the Ramblers' largest of the half.
 
Loyola took a 38-27 lead into the break thanks to a defensive effort that limited the Braves to just 1 of 7 shooting from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes.
 
The Ramblers extended their lead to 47-34 early in the second half on Williamson's second trey of the afternoon and after the teams then traded buckets, Bradley strung together 20 consecutive points to seize a 56-49 advantage with 12 minutes remaining.
 
Still composed, Loyola answered with a 14-3 run of its own, with Aher Uguak accounting for seven of those points, five from the foul line, as the Ramblers reclaimed the lead, at 63-59.
 
Bradley cut it to 65-63 with 1:30 left to play on Darrell Brown's third trey of the half, then seized a 66-65 edge on Elijah Childs' conventional three-point play with 45 seconds remaining.
 
On Loyola's next possession, however, Kennedy drew a foul on Nate Kennell with 31 seconds left and calmly drained both ends of a one-and-one to put the Ramblers back ahead, 67-66.
 
Childs missed a three-foot jumper off a lob pass with 0.7 seconds left to allow the Ramblers to escape Carver Arena with a victory for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
 
A Look At The Numbers

• Uguak recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Cameron Krutwig scored a team-high 16 points and added seven boards and three assists.
• Williamson poured in 15 points and had three steals, while Hall added nine points and Kennedy chipped in eight.
• Childs led Bradley with 21 points and nine boards.

 
Up Next
Loyola opens up play at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship in St. Louis with a quarterfinal-round game on Friday, March 6. Game time and opponent are still to be determined.