CHICAGO (January 9, 2021) – The Ramblers shoot for their fifth straight victory, which would be their longest streak since winning five in a row, November 27 through December 18, 2019, when they open a two-game series at Indiana State, Sunday evening. Loyola enters this weekend having won two of its last three road games in league play. A win Sunday would give the Ramblers their best record through 10 games since 2017-18 (9-1). Sunday's game against the Sycamores will be televised live on ESPN2, with Monday's game being broadcast on CBS Sports Network. 
 
Loyola has never started Valley play with a 3-0 ledger and has opened conference play, regardless of league affiliation, with three straight wins just four times in program history, the last coming in 2001-02, when it began Horizon League action at 6-0. The Ramblers have started 3-0 in league play just one time in the last 33 seasons. 
 
Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Loyola is 15-12 away from home in Missouri Valley games, the most road wins of any team in the league during that stretch. Drake (12), Missouri State (11) and Southern Illinois (11) have won 10 or more road games in that time.
 
One of the top scoring defense teams in the country the last few years, Loyola is yielding just 52.0 ppg and holding foes to 42 percent (42-for-100) shooting from the field, and 31.6 percent (12-for-38) from three-point range, in the last pair of contests.

For digital access to the productions, the games will be available on the ESPN app and CBSSports.com, respectively, but only to those people who have a subscription to ESPN2 and CBS Sports Network.  If fans do not pay for those channels, they will not be able to view the game as access to it through ESPN app and CBSSports.com will be restricted.
 
Loyola – Indiana State – The Series
Loyola and Indiana State are matching up for the 32nd time in a series that started in 1924. The Sycamores possess a 16-15 edge in the all-time series but the Ramblers have won seven of the last nine meetings between the teams.
 
When playing in Terre Haute, the Ramblers are 5-8 versus the Sycamores and have claimed three of the last four contests at the Hulman Center.
 
Last season, the clubs split the regular-season series with the home team claiming each contest. Tyreke Key scored 18 points and Loyola shot just 33.3 percent from the field in a 68-39 loss in Terre Haute when the teams last met on February 5, 2020.
 
Scouting Indiana State
Picked fourth in the 2020-21 MVC Preseason Poll, Indiana State has dropped its last four contests, all in league play. The Sycamores are 3-2 overall at home this season, but during the 2019-20 campaign, went 12-1 at the Hulman Center.
 
Indiana State has struggled shooting the ball this year, connecting on only 42.1 percent of its field goal attempts and 31.7 percent of its tries from three-point territory.
 
Three Sycamores are scoring in double figures, led by Preseason First Team All-MVC senior guard Tyreke Key, who puts up 13.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Jake LaRavia is one of the top underclassmen in the Missouri Valley and contributes 12.8 ppg and 5.7 rpg, while junior guard Cooper Neese is tallying 12.2 ppg and shooting 46.5 percent (20-for-43) from three-point land.
 
Up Next
Loyola briefly returns home to face preseason MVC favorite Northern Iowa, January 16 and 17 at Gentile Arena.