CHICAGO — UNI men’s basketball kept pace in the opening minutes, but struggled to slow down the Loyola-Chicago offense as the Panthers fell to the Rambers 85-58 at Joseph J. Gentile Arena on Sunday afternoon in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) action.
The Panthers fall to 14-10 overall and 10-4 in MVC play, while the Ramblers improve to 19-5 and 10-3 in league competition.
UNI and Loyola broke the game open early with hot shooting hands before the Ramblers took control from beyond the three-point arc. The Panthers were able to shoot 46.4% from the field, but struggled to slow down Loyola’s high-powered offense, highlighted by 10 first half three-point field goals. Loyola took advantage of 7 UNI turnovers in the opening period, outscoring the Panthers 12-0 off takeaways. Despite 18 points in the first half by AJ Green, including 4 made three-pointers, UNI faced a 12-point deficit heading into the halftime break, trailing 47-35.
The Ramblers continued their hot shooting into the second half with a 9-3 run in the first 4 minutes of the period. UNI would roll off a quick 7-0 run, but struggled to find a spark after as Loyola attacked the basket from all angles on the floor. Held to 23-points in the second frame on 33% shooting, the Panthers allowed 38 second half points as UNI’s 5-game winning streak was snapped on the road.
AJ Green finished the afternoon with a game-high 20 points with 4 made three-point field goals, with Trae Berhow scoring 10 points and grabbing 5 rebounds. Austin Phyfe and Bowen Born both notched 8 points, as Nate Heise and Tyhwon Pickford scored 5 points each. Noah Carter led the Panthers with 6 rebounds.
