The SIU men’s basketball team fell to the Loyola Ramblers (15-4, 5-2 MVC) on Wednesday night, 79-65, at Gentile Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

The game marked the 10th overall matchup between the schools since the Ramblers joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 2014.

Loyola started the game on a 13-2 scoring run that lasted nearly four minutes until SIU senior guard Tyler Smithpeters — who logged 12 points and six rebounds off the bench — responded with a layup. He also recorded a game-high four steals.

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Smithpeters’s layup started a 12-0 run by SIU that brought the Salukis within one point.

However, the Ramblers immediately responded with a 12-1 run and regained their double-digit lead late in the first half.

Throughout the second half, the Salukis never gathered enough momentum to get over the 10-point hump.

The Rambler offense — led by 25 points from senior guard/forward Donte Ingram — outshot SIU 56.3 percent to 42.9 percent from the field. Loyola also posted a 40-percent clip from 3-point territory opposed to Southern’s 15.4 percent.

Loyola also outrebounded Southern 33-28 in the contest.

Despite a lopsided stat line, the Salukis saw four players reach double digits in scoring.

Senior guard Sean Lloyd recorded a team-high 21 points. He also collected four rebounds in the game.

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Junior guard Armon Fletcher tallied 10 points, a team-high seven rebounds and two steals.

Sophomore guard Aaron Cook recorded 10 points and dished four assists on the night.

The Salukis return home to SIU Arena on Jan. 21 for a matchup with the Northern Iowa Panthers. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Sports writer Ryan Demer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @RyanDemer_DE 

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