Illinois-Chicago extended its Pavilion winning streak to seven games, but the Flames needed two overtime sessions Saturday night to subdue tenacious Loyola.
The Flames (9-7, 3-2) outscored the Ramblers 17-7 in the second overtime to claim a 78-68 Horizon League victory.
Loyola had claimed momentum with a stretch run in regulation that featured a comeback from a late five-point deficit and went for an overtime triumph only to see a potential game-winning shot fall short.
In the second overtime, UIC took quick control with back-to-back baskets from Scott VanderMeer and sophomore Jeremy Buttell and Robert Bush’s baseline three-pointer for a 68-61 lead with 2:26 remaining.
It was a lead Loyola ultimately could not close.
The Ramblers (5-11, 1-5) have lost six of their last seven games, six straight on the road and three league games in a row.
UIC snapped a three-game losing streak, two in Horizon League play, as it opened a three-game Pavilion home stand.
After scoring just five points in the first half, junior guard Josh Mayo added 15 over the next 30 minutes to close with a team-high 20 points. Fellow guard Karl White added 19 while VanderMeer and Bush had 13 and 10, respectively.
Loyola guard J.R. Blount led all scorers with 23 points while junior Justin Cerasoli added 21.
Cerasoli, a former West Aurora standout, was the big spark in the first overtime with five points and a steal. But with the game deadlocked at 61-61, a last second game-winning baseline jumper by Blount fell short.
The Ramblers had rallied from a 54-49 deficit in the final 2 minutes 45 seconds of regulation and forced a 56-56 tie when Blount hit a three-pointer from the top of the key.
Blount and Cerasoli collected five points apiece in the opening 5:15 as Loyola jumped to a 12-4 lead.
After starting slowly with just 2 of 7 shooting in that span, UIC replied with a 10-0 run to force a 14-14 tie.
But Blount scored 10 more points through the balance of the half as the Ramblers reclaimed the lead on the way to a 25-23 halftime advantage.
With 13:49 left in the second half, White sparked a Flames surge with three straight buckets that gave his team a 40-35 lead.
The Flames maintained the lead into the game’s final seconds, when the Ramblers rushed downcourt and Blount hit a jumper to knot the game at 56-56.
