Isiaih Mosley delivered a game-high 40 points Saturday and visiting Missouri State rolled to a 79-69 upset victory Saturday to end the 10-game winning streak of No. 22 Loyola Chicago.
Mosley, who entered leading the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring at 20.2 points per game, made 14 of 22 shots from the field, including 3 of 7 from 3-point range. The Bears (15-6, 6-2) also got 16 points from Donovan Clay and 11 from Gaige Prim.
Braden Norris scored 16 points for the Ramblers (14-3, 5-1), whose return to the Top 25 might end at one week after losing for the first time in conference play.
Loyola’s usually efficient offense was just 40.5 percent from the field and its normally solid defense joined the growing ranks of MVC teams who have been torched by Mosley.
Mosley pumped in 16 first-half points to give Missouri State a 35-33 lead at halftime, then upped his production in the second half as the Bears took charge. Mosley scored 12 points in the first 9:25 of the second half during a 22-6 run that gave the visitors an insurmountable 57-39 lead on Clay’s 3-pointer with 9:33 remaining.
Mosley added a 3-pointer and a jumper to boost the margin to 20 at 62-42 with 7:13 remaining, providing Missouri State with more than enough cushion to stave off the Ramblers’ frantic run during the last four minutes.
Loyola got off to a fast start, establishing a 9-2 lead at the 16:35 mark when Lucas Williamson buried a transition 3-pointer. It took the Bears less than 3 1/2 minutes to erase the early deficit as Prim hit a layup with 13:14 left for a 14-all tie.
The game proceeded on mostly even terms until the break. Missouri State grabbed a 22-16 lead on a 3-pointer by Jaylen Minnett with 9:46 left, but the Ramblers went on a 9-2 run and took a 25-24 edge when Marquise Kennedy hit a layup with 7:10 remaining.
But the Bears took a 35-33 lead into halftime when Clay dunked with 15 seconds left.
–Field Level Media