Box Score Parker goes off for 28 points, Turner adds 21 in the dominant victory.
After having spent two weeks on the road, the Loyola University New Orleans men's basketball team returned to The Den to face preseason No. 15-ranked Dillard on Wednesday night.
The visiting Bleu Devils (4-2) were coming off of a 107-101 overtime upset of No. 2-ranked LSU-Alexandria, and they defeated the Wolf Pack in the last matchup between the two teams. But the home team overpowered the visitors, with Loyola (3-3) performing well on both sides of the ball to secure the victory.
The game was relatively close for the start of the first half, with the game tied at 12 after about nine minutes of play. The Wolf Pack would go on a 13-3 run after that tie, grabbing momentum that would last most of the game as they went into halftime with a 39-25 lead.
The gap in shooting percentage between the two teams ended up being the biggest reason behind Loyola's first half lead, with the Wolf Pack shooting 14-27 (51.9%) from the field in the first half, as well as 6-13 (46.2%) from deep, compared to just 9-32 overall (28.1) for Dillard. The Wolf Pack took advantage of those missed shots, grabbing more defensive rebounds (19) than the Bleu Devils had total rebounds (17) in the first half.
Dillard improved its shooting percentage in the second half, but Loyola's shooters felt like they couldn't miss, as the hot shooting and strong defensive performance from the first half continued into the second period. At about the 14-minute mark of the half, Ethan Turner (JR/Covington, La.), Tre'Von Jasmine (JR/Edgard, La.), and Nick Parker (SR/Port Allen, La.) all hit a three-pointer as the Wolf Pack lead extended to 60-40. Parker's day wasn't done from deep, as he would go on to hit two more shots from long range to increase his total to six. Turner was also efficient from behind the arc, going 5-7 (71.4%) on threes.
Following a small 5-0 run by the visitors, Loyola would go on to score 13 unanswered points to take its largest lead of the game at 73-45. The final score ended up being much closer, but that 28-point lead with 9:53 to go in the game proved to be insurmountable.
Parker led all scorers as he finished with 28 points on 10-17 (58.9%) from the floor, as well as 6-11 (54.5%) from deep. His stat sheet-stuffing performance also included eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
Turner finished with 21 points and four rebounds, adding six made free throws to his five three-pointers. Jasmine finished with 12 points, tying with Parker for a game-high eight rebounds.
For the Bleu Devils, Quinton Jackson led the team with 14 points. Patrick Thompson scored 13 to go along with eight rebounds, and Jessie Ward added 11 points.
Loyola's next game comes in an exhibition against NCAA Div. I Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 28 in Hammond, La., with the game scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
