NCAA News Wire
Indiana State 72, Loyola (Illinois) 65
Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.
All posts by Alan DraperUpdated8 hours ago on April 26, 2024
Second-seeded Indiana State advanced to the semifinals of the Missouri Valley conference tournament with a 72-65 victory over 10th-seeded Loyola (Ill.) on Friday in St. Louis.
Guard Jake Odum had 18 points to lead the Sycamores (22-9), which held the Ramblers to 34 percent shooting. Forward Justin Gant added 14, and guard Devonte Brown had 12 off the bench.
Loyola (10-22), which advanced to the quarterfinals with a last-second 74-72 victory over Bradley on Thursday, couldn’t keep that magic alive for a second consecutive night. The Ramblers shot well from the three-point line (8-19) and the free-throw line (20-22), but made just 9 of their 31 attempts from two-point range.
Guard Jeff White was the only player in double figures for Loyola, finishing with 13 points. Guard Troy Nixon added nine points and was a perfect 3 for 3 from the floor and 1 of 1 from the free throw line.
Loyola was within 26-22 at halftime, but a 6-0 run from Indiana State to start the second half pushed the margin back to double digits. The Ramblers never got closer than six the rest of the way.
The Sycamores will meet the Northern Iowa-Southern Illinois winner in the semifinals on Saturday.
