CHICAGO (AP) — Cameron Krutwig hit his first 3-pointer of the season for a five-point lead with 48 seconds left and Loyola-Chicago held off Northern Iowa 61-60 on Wednesday night for its seventh straight home win.
Krutwig made a hook shot in the lane for a 57-55 lead and he blocked a shot under the basket at the other end. Inbounding it with 51.4 seconds on the clock and four on the shot clock, Krutwig was left wide open in the corner and he swished it. He had missed his previous two 3-pointers this season.
AJ Green nailed a long 3-pointer just before the final buzzer for UNI.
Krutwig finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for Loyola (14-8, 7-2 Missouri Valley Conference), which has claimed 21 of its last 24 league games. Loyola has won 12 straight conference games at home for the first time since 1984-86 as a member of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference. Marques Townes added 19 points and Bruno Skokna 11.
Loyola sophomore Lucas Williamson, who was averaging 8.6 points and 6.5 rebounds, underwent surgery this week on his right hand and will be out for three to four weeks.
Luke McDonnell scored 16 points and Green, averaging 14.9 points per game to lead MVC freshman, added 14 points for Northern Iowa (9-13, 4-5), which has won just once in eight games on the road this season.
