CHICAGO (January 16, 2022) - Surging Loyola, which has won nine straight games, its third-longest positive streak since 1985-86, completes a short, two-game road swing Tuesday evening when it visits Evansville. The Ramblers are off to their best start (13-2) through 15 games since 1965-66 when they captured 14 of their first 15 contests.

Loyola has prevailed in 10 of its last 11 true road games, with the lone loss coming in a 51-50 setback, in overtime, at Drake, last February.

At 4-0, Loyola is off to its best start in Missouri Valley Conference play since joining the league for the 2013-14 season. This marks the Ramblers' best start to league competition, regardless of affiliation, since starting the 2001-02 Horizon League slate with six straight victories.

Dating back to last season, the Ramblers are 32-4 (.889) in their last 36 games. Three of those losses came to power conference foes and the other was a one-point overtime loss at Drake, which was a NCAA Tournament team in 2020-21. Loyola's two setbacks this season came at the hands of current Top 10 teams, Michigan State and Auburn.

Loyola has had to rally from a double-digit deficit in each of its last three victories, and it has had to climb out of a hole of 10 or more points in victory on four occasions this season. The Ramblers erased second-half deficits of 50-34 and 42-30 in wins against Bradley and Valparaiso, respectively, and a 15-point, first half deficit at Indiana State.

Loyola – Evansville – The Series

Tuesday's game will be the 54th matchup between longtime foes Loyola and Evansville and despite trailing the all-time series, 28-25, the Ramblers have claimed seven of the last eight meetings, including each of the last five.

Loyola is 11-15 against the Purple Aces in Evansville, but has won two of the last three contests at Ford Center capturing the last meeting there, 73-66, on February 12, 2020.

When the teams connected last season, the Ramblers won both games in the series at Gentile Arena by nearly identical scores of 68-55 and 69-58. In the last meeting, on February 7, 2021 in Chicago, Braden Norris netted a team-high 19 points and Aher Uguak added 14 points and 11 rebounds and Loyola shot 57.9 percent (22-for-38) from the field in a 69-58 victory.

Scouting Evansville

The Purple Aces have tumbled in nine of their last 11 games, and have dropped four in a row heading into Tuesday's game against Loyola. Two of Evansville's four setbacks in Valley play have come by a single basket. 

Evansville is 3-3 at Ford Center in 2021-22 but has lost three of its last four contests there. The Aces' two league defeats at home - to Southern Illinois (54-52) and Drake (60-59) - each came by a single possession.

Head coach Todd Lickliter's squad is the worst shooting team in The Valley, ranking 10th in the conference in both field goal (.399) and three-point field goal (.318) percentage, while managing just 60.5 points per game.

The senior backcourt tandem of Shamar Givance (14.7 ppg, 3.7 apg) and Jawaun Newton (14.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg) provides the bulk of the offense for Evansville.

Up Next

Loyola returns to Gentile Arena Saturday (Jan. 22) for a pivotal matchup with Missouri State. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT