Box Score The Wolf Pack moves 2-0 in conference play as Nick Parker (SR/Port Allen, La.) sinks a game-winner over the Toppers with 3.8 seconds left in the game.
Coming off two straight wins against top-16 ranked NAIA teams, the Loyola University New Orleans men's basketball team traveled to Blue Mountain, Miss., for a Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) matchup against the Toppers.
In a thrilling last few minutes, the Wolf Pack (5-3) was able to grab the 61-60 victory with a tough go-ahead bucket by Nick Parker in the game's closing seconds. Loyola improves to 2-0 in conference games this season, while Blue Mountain falls to 3-3 overall, 1-1 in SSAC play.
The Toppers came out firing in the first half, holding a 16-7 lead over the visiting Pack by the first timeout at the 10:40 mark of the first period. Quan Cothron then hit a three to extend Blue Mountain's lead to 19-7 as the home team went on an 8-0 run. Loyola immediately went on a run of its own, scoring 11 unanswered points to cut the Toppers lead to just one point at 19-18 after a layup by Tensley Aldridge (FR/Denham Springs, La.).
Aldridge would put up a solid first half performance, giving the Wolf Pack a 24-23 lead after two made free throws with 4:21 remaining in the half. After that point, however, the Toppers would outscore Loyola 10-2, taking a 33-26 lead into the half. Aldridge would finish the half with 10 points on 4-6 from the floor and 2-2 from the free throw line as the Wolf Pack would shoot 42.3% (11-26) overall. Blue Mountain made 13 of its 24 attempts from the floor for 54.2%.
The second half would start similar to the first, with the Toppers jumping out to a large lead. A jumper by Justin McClellon would give the home team its largest lead of the second half at 41-30, but the Wolf Pack would battle back once again. By the 9:33 mark of the second half, a two-pointer by Terry Smith, Jr., cut the Blue Mountain lead to just three points at 48-45, and Loyola was back in the game. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the second half, as the game stayed within reach for the Pack.
The defense came up big in the game's closing minutes, as Ethan Turner (JR/Covington, La.)'s activity created a steal with just 1:06 remaining in a 60-57 game. Tre'Von Jasmine (JR/Edgard, La.) missed a shot with 49 seconds left, but Robert White (SR/Los Angeles, Ca.) was in the perfect position to tip it back in, making it just a one-point game with 46 seconds to go.
Loyola's defense forced a long three-point miss by Harrison Fancher at the end of the shot clock, setting the Wolf Pack up with a chance to take the last shot and win the game. Nick Parker did just that, nailing a bucket in a crowded lane with 3.8 seconds left to give Loyola a 61-60 lead.
Blue Mountain's Jaylon Bardley ran the length of the floor to take a deep three as time expired, but it fell short, giving the Wolf Pack the one-point victory.
Loyola finished 23-60 (38.3%) from the floor and 3-14 (21.4%) from long range, compared to 22-53 (41.5%) and 5-18 (27.8%) from deep for Blue Mountain. But the game was won on hustle plays, with the Wolf Pack grabbing 14 offensive rebounds for 9 second-chance points compared to just eight offensive rebounds for seven points on second-chance opportunities for the Toppers. The Pack also stole the ball 13 times, leading to 17 points off of turnovers compared to 14 for Blue Mountain. Those seemingly small differences ended up playing a factor in the final result since the game was close.
Nick Parker's game-winning shot gave him a team-high 13 points after a 5-11 (45.5%) shooting performance from the field. Parker also finished with three steals.
Beyond the final shot, it was a total team win, with each member of the team contributing.
Terry Smith, Jr., recorded a key double-double, his second of the season, after putting up 11 points and 12 boards on 4-9 shooting (44.4%). He also added two steals.
Ethan Turner finished with six points and four steals, with three of those steals helping to fuel the second half comeback. Tre'Von Jasmine also logged three steals, all in the last eight minutes of the game, to go along with his five points and five rebounds. Robert White had the big putback layup in the game's closing minute, but he also blocked a shot with about three minutes left as the Wolf Pack's defensive effort late in the game helped to fuel the victory.
For Blue Mountain, Jaylon Bardley finished with a game-high 21 points on 9-21 (42.9%) shooting, while Quan Cothron and Harrison Fancher each put up 11 points.
The Wolf Pack returns to action on Monday, Dec. 4, when LSU-Shreveport comes to The Den for a game at 7 p.m.
