Redbirds to Travel to Chicago to Take on Ramblers

CHICAGO - Illinois State will travel to the Windy City on Saturday afternoon, as the Redbirds will face off against the Loyola Chicago Ramblers in a rematch of the 2018 MVC Tournament championship game.

GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State Redbirds (9-7, 2-1 MVC) vs. Loyola Chicago Ramblers (9-7, 2-1 MVC)
When: Saturday, Jan. 12
Tip-Off: 1 p.m.
Location: Chicago, Ill.
Arena: Gentile Arena
TV: ESPN2
    Dave Lamont, play-by-play
    Malcolm Huckaby, analyst
Radio: Illinois State Radio Network / TuneIn Radio / WJBC (AM 1230 / FM 93.7)
    Dick Luedke, play-by-play
    Mike Matthews, analyst
Live Stats: Loyola Chicago Statbroadcast

SETTING THE TABLE

•    Illinois State is 8-0 this season when leading at halftime.
•    Through three MVC games this season, ISU has given up a combined 173 points, which is the fourth-lowest such total in the Redbirds' 38 seasons in the Conference.
•    Illinois State has six games this season on a Tuesday, the second-most on the day in program history.
•    Illinois State has won its last seven overtime games, which stands as the second-longest currently-active overtime win streak in the country. 
•    With 19 points against UNI, ISU senior Phil Fayne has climbed into 41st in ISU career history in points with 1,024. Milik Yarbrough (798) and Keyshawn Evans (772) are also both within striking distance of reaching 1,000 for their careers.
•    Illinois State is 83-22 inside Redbird Arena during head coach Dan Muller's tenure, including a 7-2 mark this season.
•    Milik Yarbrough was recently named as one of 50 student-athletes named to the Lou Henson Award mid-season watch list, given to the top mid-major basketball player in the country.
•    Phil Fayne's career shooting percentage of .588 is the 28th-highest active career shooting percentage in the country. 
•    Today's game features the two winningest teams in the state of Illinois since 2012-13, as Illinois State is 131-87 during that span, and Loyola Chicago is 124-95. 
•    ISU senior Milik Yarbrough is one of 22 men's basketball student-athletes since 1992-93 to average at least 16.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in a season.
•    Yarbrough is also one of just five active men's basketball student-athletes to rank inside of his conference/league's top five in points, rebounds, and assists.
•    Illinois State is one of three schools in NCAA Division I to have two of their four coaches to have won National Titles during their time as student-athletes at their respective schools.
•    ISU head coach Dan Muller has the ninth-most career wins among coaches that are leading their alma maters.
•    Illinois State is 19-16 all-time on January 12.

SCOUTING THE RAMBLERS

Loyola Chicago comes into the rematch of last season's MVC championship game with a 9-7 record and a 2-1 mark in conference play. 

In the most recent game, a 67-48 loss at Evansville, Marques Townes scored a team-high 14 points, while Franklin Agunanne scored 13 and Cameron Krutwig 10. The Ramblers made just 1-of-7 from long range in the loss and were out-rebounded 36-to-27 and had six assists against 17 turnovers.

For the year, Loyola Chicago has three players averaging in double-figure scoring, with all three averaging between 13.9 and 13.4 points per game, each. Clayton Custer leads the team by averaging 13.9, while Townes also averages 13.9. Krutwig also averages 13.4 points, while Lucas Williamson - who has missed the most recent eight games because of injury - averages 8.0 per game.

Krutwig pulls down an average of 7.4 rebounds per game to lead the team, while Williamson averages 6.5 and Townes 5.2. Townes has dished out a team-best 61 assists, while Custer has 20 steals to pace the Ramblers. Krutwig leads the team with 18 blocked shots and a .669 field goal percentage.

GETTING DEFENSIVE IN THE MVC

Through two Missouri Valley Conference games this season, the Redbirds have given up a combined 104 points (58 at Valparaiso, and 46 against Evansville). That is the second-lowest total by an ISU program through two games in the Redbirds' 38th season in the conference.

The school record for fewest points allowed through the first three conference games is 155, and after ISU's 70-69 win over UNI, it moved the Redbirds to fourth on the list with 173 points allowed.

The school record for fewest points allowed through the first four conference games is 206, and for ISU to continue to rank as one of the top five in program history in the category, they will need to hold Loyola to 64 points or fewer on Saturday.

STRONG ACCURACY

This season, ISU senior Phil Fayne has made over 57 percent of his shots from the field. For his two-plus seasons with the Redbirds, Fayne has made 58.8 percent of his shots, which is the 28th-highest active field goal percentage in the country. In addition to ranking inside of the top-30 in career active field goal percentage, he stands fourth in Illinois State history. 

FOUR-YEAR WINS

This senior group has the chance to go down with one of the winningest four-year stretches in program history. This group is currently 73-43 over the last four years and is 20 wins away from tying the school record for wins in a four-year period - 91 held by the 1997-98 senior class which included current ISU head coach Dan Muller.