Loyola Tops Valparaiso 67-54 In Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
(AP) -- Cameron Krutwig had 18 points and three assists as Loyola topped Valparaiso 67-54 in the Missouri Valley Conference Tourney quarterfinals on Friday.
The Ramblers, the defending MVC champions, extended their winning streak to three games.
Marques Townes had 15 points and eight rebounds for Loyola (20-12). Lucas Williamson added 10 points.
Daniel Sackey had 11 points for the Crusaders (15-18). Jaume Sorolla added three blocks.
Dubbed "Arch Madness," the Missouri Valley Tournament started Thursday and continues through Sunday. Loyola moves on to the semifinals and will play the winner of the Missouri State/ Bradley matchup on Saturday. After making a run to the Final Four last season, the Ramblers got off to a tough start in non-conference play but went on to win the regular-season MVC title. With an NET ranking of 128, they likely need to win the conference tournament in order to make the Big Dance.
Loyola of Chicago won both of the regular season matchups earlier this season. The teams last faced each other on Feb. 10, when the Ramblers shot 43.2 percent from the field while limiting Valparaiso to just 37.5 percent en route to the five-point victory.
The Crusaders ended their season with a record of 15-18. The team is 0-5 against the Ramblers.
The teams last faced each other on Feb. 10, when the Ramblers shot 43.2 percent from the field while limiting Valparaiso to just 37.5 percent en route to the five-point victory.
Valparaiso has relied heavily on its seniors. Derrik Smits, Deion Lavender, Markus Golder and Bakari Evelyn have combined to account for 55 percent of the team's scoring this year and 54 percent of all Crusaders points over the team's last five games.
The Loyola of Chicago defense has allowed only 60.9 points per game to opponents this season, ranking the Ramblers sixth among Division I teams. The Valparaiso offense has averaged 67.2 points through 32 games (ranked 277th, nationally).
RELATED: Loyola's Marques Townes: Styling And Profiling For A Winning Season
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CBS Sports contributed to this report.
