Box Score Trey LaForge (SO/New Orleans, La.) scores a career-high 20 points on a perfect 8-8 shooting, Nick Parker (SR/Port Allen, La.) drops 25 points, and the Wolf Pack move to 7-2 in conference play.
NEW ORLEANS - The Loyola University New Orleans men's basketball team notched its second straight conference victory with a 76-67 win over the University of Mobile on Saturday at The Den.
The Wolf Pack (11-8, 7-2) opened the game making a statement, as Benjamin Fields (SR/Bernice, La.) snuck past the defense of the Rams (8-13, 3-7) for a slam dunk on the first points of the game. The first four minutes of the game would see four ties, as the teams traded baskets, but Loyola would eventually pull away as the first half continued, gaining a lead of 14 points as a Nick Parker three-pointer put the Pack on top 35-21 at the 2:19 mark of the half.
Parker led the Wolf Pack offense in the first half, scoring 12 points, half of which came from long range. Trey LaForge also knocked down a three in the first half, as he was 4-4 from the floor. The Pack shot a highly efficient 58.3% (14-24) from the field in the first half, as well as 42.9% (3-7) from behind the arc, and the home team's lead was 37-29 at the break.
The scoring would continue for Loyola in the second half, as Parker and LaForge would each end up doubling their point totals, but not before Mobile came out of halftime with a counterattack.
The Rams opened the half on a 10-2 run, and a three-pointer by Mobile point guard D.J. Hill tied the game at 39-39 with 16:32 remaining. Following the slow start to the half however, the Pack would convert on 10 of their next 11 field goal attempts, the last of which was a made basket by Robert White (SR/Los Angeles, Calif.) as he got fouled. White converted the free throw, and Loyola was back on top by nine points at 64-55 with 8:30 left in the game.
The Wolf Pack held a lead of at least seven points for the remainder of the game as they locked in on defense and knocked down free throws to claim the 76-67 victory.
Parker finished the game leading all scorers with 25 points, his third-highest scoring output of the season, after shooting 7-13 (53.8%) from the floor and 8-8 from the charity stripe, as well as knocking down three triples. Adding two steals tonight, Parker raised his career steals number to 143, tying Brian Lumar for fourth-most career steals in Loyola men's basketball history.
Trey LaForge was a perfect 8-8 from the field, as well as 3-3 from behind the arc, setting a new career high with 20 points. He also grabbed a team-high seven boards, which matched his career high of seven rebounds set against Brewton-Parker on Jan. 4 of this year.
Tre'Von Jasmine (JR/Edgard, La.) was the other double-figure scorer for the Pack, putting up 12 points on 4-10 shooting (40.0%) and 4-5 from the line. Chase Eckholdt (SR/Mandeville, La.) scored six points, but also orchestrated the offense, dishing out a season-high six assists as the Pack shot 55.1% (27-49) from the field.
The Pack will hit the road next week, heading to Mount Vernon, Ga. to take on Brewton-Parker on Thursday, February 1st at 7:30 p.m., before facing Middle Georgia State on Saturday, February 3rd at 4 p.m.
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