CHICAGO (January 2, 2021)
 
In Short
Aher Uguak erupted for a career-best 26 points and a staunch defensive effort limited defending Conference USA champion North Texas (4-4) to 26.7 percent shooting from three-point range and forced 20 turnovers as Loyola University Chicago (7-2) won its fourth straight game overall and 15^th in a row at home with a 57-49 victory tonight at Gentile Arena. 
 
Coach Moser's Thoughts
"That was about as high-level and physical of a game as we've been a part of in many, many years.  Every basket was hard to come by. The basketball gods reward toughness. Aher Uguak works so hard and made so many toughness plays as did Marquise Kennedy. It shows you our depth when we defend and rebound. Aher has been putting in the extra time and it is paying off."
 
How It Happened
The first half lived up the pregame billing of being a rock fight with both teams shooting under 37 percent for the half.
 
Uguak scored seven points in the opening minutes as Loyola jumped out to an 11-7 lead, but North Texas put together a 10-1 run to surge back and seize a 17-12 edge.
 
The Ramblers countered that burst with 10 unanswered points, with four different players scoring during that run, highlighted by a three-pointer from Cooper Kaifes and three more points from Uguak, to move back on top, 22-17. 
 
From there, the Loyola defense tightened up further, holding the Mean Green without a field goal for eight minutes before a Javion Hamlet jumper with 18 seconds left snapped the UNT drought and trimmed the Ramblers' lead to 22-19 at the break.
 
Clinging to a 33-29 lead, Kaifes drained another three-pointer and Uguak added three more points as part of a 6-0 spurt that extended Loyola's lead to double digits for the first time on the night. Following a Mean Green basket, Marquise Kennedy's layup and Lucas Williamson's free throws pushed the advantage to 43-31.
 
Once North Texas sliced the Ramblers' lead to 45-37, Uguak took over, scoring seven straight points, which featured an alley-oop dunk and was capped by another triple that extended the edge to 52-37, that sealed the outcome.
 
North Texas made one last push and closed within 54-47 with 1:21 remaining, but Uguak knocked down 3 of 4 attempts from the foul line down the stretch to cement the victory.
 
 
A Look At The Numbers

• Loyola held the Mean Green 30 points under their season average (79.9) coming into tonight.
• Uguak's 26 points are the most scored by a Rambler this year and easily surpass his previous best of 19 set versus Indiana State on January 2, 2019.
• Cameron Krutwig added 12 points and six rebounds for Loyola, which got six points from Kaifes and five boards, four steals and three assists from Kennedy.
• Hamlet led North Texas with 14 points, but he was held to just 5-for-17 shooting.

 
Up Next
Loyola travels to Missouri Valley Conference co-leader Drake for a two-game set, January 10 and 11.