Clayton Custer scored a season-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, and Missouri Valley leader Loyola beat Northern Iowa 70-47 on Sunday at Gentile Arena for its seventh straight conference victory.
Loyola (18-4, 8-2) hasn’t won seven straight conference games since a 12-game streak during the 1984-85 season. The Ramblers are 16-1 with Custer in the lineup — including a 65-59 victory over then-No. 5 Florida in December. He missed five straight games after sustaining an ankle injury against the Gators.
Donte Ingram had 16 points and eight rebounds, Cameron Krutwig added 14 points and eight boards for Loyola.
Loyola leads conference foes Bradley, Southern Illinois and Drake — all at 6-4 — with eight games to play.
Klint Carlson and Tywhon Pickford each scored 14 for Northern Iowa (11-11, 3-7). The Panthers shot 36.5 percent, including 4 of 21 from distance.
