CHICAGO (February 4, 2021) - Off to its best start through 18 games since 1965-66 (16-2), Loyola is back home for the first time in three weeks when it hosts Evansville February 6 and 7. The Ramblers have captured 12 of their last 13 outings, including each of the last eight, and at 10-1 in Missouri Valley Conference action, are off to their best start to league play, regardless of affiliation, since going 13-1 in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference in 1984-85. 

In its last two games versus Evansville at Gentile Arena, Loyola has produced 74.0 points per game and shot a scalding 62.4 percent (58-for-93) from the field and 52.4 percent (11-for-21) from three-point land. A year ago, the Ramblers fell just shy of a single-game program record by hitting a remarkable 70.5 percent (31-for-44) of their field goal tries in a 78-44 victory over Evansville in Rogers Park.

Loyola ranks fifth in the country in scoring margin (+18.3) and its eight wins at home have come by an average of 28.5 points. 

After going 27-45 (.375) in Valley play in its first four seasons in the conference, Loyola has flipped the script and gone an impressive 50-15 (.769) in league play since the start of the 2017-18 campaign.

Loyola has won 17 consecutive games at Gentile Arena, tied for the seventh-longest active home court winning streak in the nation. The Ramblers have also captured 16 straight Valley home games since a 65-61 loss to Missouri State on February 17, 2019.

Loyola – Evansville – The Series

Saturday's game will be the 52nd meeting between the Ramblers and the Purple Aces and although Loyola has claimed five of the last six matchups, Evansville holds a 28-23 advantage in the all-time series.

Since joining the Missouri Valley Conference, Loyola is 7-7 against Evansville and when playing in Chicago, the Ramblers are 12-11 all time. The Maroon and Gold has prevailed in each of the last four games versus the Aces in the Windy City, last falling at Gentile Arena on February 14, 2016 (74-73).

Loyola swept the season series in 2019-20, and when the teams last matched up, on February 12, 2020 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Lucas Williamson netted 20 points to pace the Ramblers in a 73-66 victory. 

Scouting Evansville

One season after going winless (0-18) in Missouri Valley Conference competition, head coach Todd Lickliter has engineered quite a turnaround and has guided Evansville to a 6-4 mark in conference play and an 8-8 ledger overall.

The Purple Aces are 1-5 in true road games this season, with their lone victory coming at Southern Illinois (84-72) on December 28. Evansville has stumbled in 18 of its last 20 Valley road games.

Four players score in double figures for the Aces, led by junior guards Jawaun Newton (12.8 ppg) and Shamar Givance (12.4 ppg), but Evansville is shooting just 42.2 percent from the field as a team.

Up Next

Loyola plays a two-game set at MVC leader, Drake, on February 13 and 14.