Illinois State beats Loyola of Chicago 59-50

Jan 11, 2014, 10:47 pm

NORMAL, Ill. -- Reggie Lynch scored 11 points, grabbed five rebounds and sparked the second half breakaway run that gave Illinois State a 59-50 win over Loyola of Chicago on Saturday night.

After battling to a 27-27 tie at the break, Illinois State (9-7, 2-2 Missouri Valley Conference) opened the second half with a 15-2 run sparked by a Lynch jumper to take control of the game. The Redbirds protected the advantage, outscoring Loyola 32-23 in the final period.

Nick Zeisloft contributed 12 points, while Bobby Hunter and John Jones added 10 apiece for Illinois State, which remains undefeated against in-state teams this season.

Both teams struggled offensively. The Redbirds hit just 22 of 56 (39 percent) from the field and 5 of 20 from beyond the arc. The Ramblers (6-10, 1/3 MVC) fared worse, hitting only 17 of 50 from the field.

Milton Doyle led Loyola with 15 points and eight rebounds.