The Loyola men’s basketball team (18-12, 11-6) held on to defeat University of Northern Iowa 56-55 in a pivotal Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) matchup at McLeod Center in Cedar Falls, Iowa Wednesday night.
The victory keeps the Ramblers tied for first place with Drake University with one game left before the MVC Tournament March 7-10. Loyola sophomore guard Lucas Williamson returned to the starting lineup after missing 10 games with a broken hand, putting up 12 points and stole the ball four times on defense.
Loyola redshirt senior guard Marques Townes led the Ramblers in scoring with 16 points and pulling down eight rebounds.