CHICAGO (February 25, 2022) - Loyola plays for its fourth Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title in the last five years on Saturday when it visits conference co-leader, Northern Iowa. The winner of Saturday's contest will claim The Valley championship outright and the game will be televised live on ESPNU.

The Ramblers, who have won their final regular-season game in each of the last four campaigns, were denied a then third straight MVC title in 2019-20, when Northern Iowa (14-4) finished a game ahead of Loyola (13-5) atop the league table. 

Loyola is attempting to become the third team since the turn of the century to win four MVC championships over a five-year span, joining Southern Illinois (2001-02 through 2004-05) and Wichita State (2013-14 through 2016-17).

Drew Valentine, the youngest coach in NCAA Division I basketball at 30 years of age, is the second skipper in program history to pilot Loyola to 20 wins in his first season on the job, joining Tom Haggerty, who guided the Ramblers to 23 victories in 1945-46. A win Saturday at Northern Iowa would tie Valentine with Haggerty for the most wins by a Loyola first-year coach, with 23.

Dating back to last season, Loyola has prevailed in 15 of its last 18 (.833) true road games.

For the first time in program history, the Ramblers have posted five consecutive seasons of 20 or more wins and are averaging 24.2 victories per year during that stretch.

Loyola – Northern Iowa – The Series

After dropping nine of the first 11 games in the series with Northern Iowa, Loyola has flipped the script and taken 12 of the last 14 matchups, including four in a row and eight of the last nine.

Loyola, which owns a 14-11 edge in a series that began in 1994, has won just three times in 10 previous trips to Cedar Falls, Iowa, but has captured two of the last three contests at McLeod Center. The last four games in Cedar Falls have been decided by a grand total of 15 points, with two games being decided by a single possession and two going into overtime.

Two weeks ago, Loyola shot 63.6 percent from the field and buried 14 three-point field goals to roll to an 85-58 decision at Gentile Arena in Chicago. Lucas Williamson netted 18 points and Aher Uguak added 17 to pace the Ramblers' attack.

Scouting Northern Iowa

Northern Iowa has won each of its last three contests and eight of the last nine heading into Saturday's battle for Valley supremacy in 2021-22. In fact, the Panthers' only loss during that nine-game stretch came at the hands of the Ramblers on February 13.

The Panthers are 9-4 at home this season, but are 7-1 in Valley play at the McLeod Center, winning four straight contests on their home floor. 

Junior guard AJ Green, who along with Loyola's Lucas Williamson, is a leading contender for Valley Player of the Year recognition, averages a team-best 18.6 points and 2.1 assists per contest, while sophomore forward Noah Carter chips in 14.4 ppg. Green has scored 20 or more points in five consecutive outings.

Up Next

Loyola opens play at the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Championship in St. Louis on Friday, March 4. Game time and opponent are to be determined.