Box Score With five members of the Pack scoring in double figures and a strong second-half defensive performance, Loyola defeats their third ranked foe on the year
NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola University New Orleans men's basketball team welcomed No. 7 Faulkner to The Den on Friday for the season's first SSAC home matchup, where the Pack took down the previously undefeated Eagles 99-87.
The Wolf Pack (6-3, 2-1 SSAC) opened up the game with Zach Wrightsil finding Cameron Dumas for a three-pointer, taking the early 3-0 lead.
Both teams seemed to match up evenly, trading baskets through most of the tightly-contested first half. The Eagles (9-1, 2-1) stretched their lead to as many as six points after a barrage of three-pointers, hitting 10 in the first half, but the Pack responded with similarly hot shooting from behind the arc. Dumas knocked down three more triples in the final three minutes of the period, with Tre'Von Jasmine adding another. The home squad went 9-22 from distance in the high-scoring first half, trailing 53-50 at the break with both teams shooting over 50% from the field.
Myles Burns opened up the second half with a three-pointer to tie the score at 53-all, but the offenses seemed to have cooled off, with neither team scoring for the next four minutes. Faulkner extended their lead to 58-54, but it would be the visitors' largest lead of the half, as the Wolf Pack held them to just 32% shooting in the period.
The game remained close and was tied at 70-all with eight minutes left in the contest, after which Loyola took the lead and never looked back. The Pack outscored the Eagles 29-17 over the final eight minutes, which were highlighted by efficient free-throw shooting and several dunks from the athletic freshman Burns.
With the 99-87 win, the Wolf Pack improve to 5-0 in The Den, and will play three of the upcoming four games at home. Loyola will play their final home contest before the holiday break when they take on Middle Georgia State at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 16.
Wolf Pack Head Coach Stacy Hollowell
"It was a back-and-forth first half. I was surprised at how well they shot the ball, but we were able to hang in there with them; both teams were shooting with tremendous confidence. In the second half I thought we were able to get some stops on defense. Offensively, we were able to finish possessions, close out, and rebound.
"Some of their guys got into foul trouble, which gave us an opportunity to exploit some size advantages. We were able to get the ball down low to Zach and TJ, their guys came in to help, and we knocked down some shots on the outside. I thought we really defended with some purpose in the last two minutes, particularly Myles at the top of the zone. When we needed some big scores late to close out the game, Myles was able to get in there and help put some emphasis on tonight's win."
Pack Facts
This was Loyola's third win over a ranked opponent this season, handing each opponent their first loss of the year.
This was the highest ranked win for the Wolf Pack since defeating No. 6 Southern Polytechnic State University 80-67 on December 1, 2012.
Loyola has now won four of their last five games against Faulkner.
Zach Wrightsil led the Pack in scoring tonight while posting his second-career double-double with 22 points, seven rebounds and a career-best 10 assists.
Cameron Dumas added 17 points while sinking five shots from beyond the arc, and now leads the team with 23 makes from three.
You can keep up with the Pack this season by following Wolf Pack Athletics on Facebook at Facebook.com/LoyolaWolfPack, Twitter and Instagram @LoyolaWolfPack, and by checking out our website at LoyolaWolfPack.com.
