Valparaiso Beacons vs Loyola-Chicago Ramblers Box Score on Feb 17, 2021

Keith Clemons scored 16 points as No. 22 Loyola Chicago used a key 8-0 second-half run to rally, and then hold on, for a 54-52 home win over Valparaiso on Wednesday night.

Cameron Krutwig had 13 points, six rebounds and five assists for the league-leading Ramblers (19-4, 14-2 Missouri Valley Conference), who rebounded from a weekend loss at Drake that ended their 11-game winning streak.

Loyola shot just 38.5 percent Wednesday but pulled through when needed to avoid the upset and extend its home winning streak to 20 games.

Valparaiso (8-15, 5-9), which shot 47.6 percent, led 29-26 at halftime, but 3-pointers from Braden Norris and Clemons put Loyola ahead 32-31. However, the visitors would not be held down and regained the lead in what would begin a back-and-forth stretch.

Zion Morgan's 3-pointer with 4:58 left in the game gave Valparaiso a 48-46 lead, but Clemons and Lucas Williamson hit consecutive treys to put Loyola up 52-48 with 3 1/2 minutes to play.

Krutwig flipped in a hook as the shot clock expired to extend the Ramblers' lead to six points. However, Goodnews Kpegeol (10 points) scored and Sheldon Edwards turned a steal into a basket to get Valpo within two with under a minute to play.

Valpo had the ball with under 10 seconds left, but Kpegeol was whistled for a foul on the rebound of teammate Ben Krikke's miss with 1.1 seconds remaining in the game. Morgan, a senior, had a career-high 15 points and Krikke finished with 10.

After shooting a season-low 35.1 percent Sunday in the overtime loss at Drake, Loyola continued to struggle making shots over the first 20 minutes against Valparaiso. The Ramblers missed 15 of their first 18 shots and went a stretch of more than seven minutes without a basket of any kind.

Valpo, meanwhile, made 13 of 25 shots in the first half and led 29-20 when Donovan Clay knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:18 left before the break. Loyola, though, got back-to-back 3-pointers from Williamson and Aher Uguak to make it a three-point game at halftime.

--Field Level Media