Box Score Jasmine scores a career-high 23 points, Eric Brown (JR/Homer, La.) collects season-high 20, and the Wolf Pack grab the victory to move to 8-2 in the SSAC
MOUNT VERNON, Ga. — After trailing by as many as 13 points in the first half, the Loyola University New Orleans men's basketball team was able to grab the lead late in the second half, where they held on for a 69-67 victory over Brewton-Parker.
The Wolf Pack (12-8, 8-2) are now 2-0 against the Barons (3-19, 3-9) this season, after the Pack won their earlier matchup in The Den on January 4th.
Loyola came out firing at the beginning of the game, with Tre'Von Jasmine (JR/Edgard, La.) hitting a three-pointer with just 17 seconds off of the game clock. Three-point shooting would become a theme in the first half, as the Pack converted on six of their first 10 attempts from behind the arc. Jasmine and Nick Parker (SR/Port Allen, La.) hit on back-to-back triples to tie the score 11-11 at the 14:30 mark of the first half. Eric Brown then knocked down three more long-range shots, giving him nine points in the first 20 minutes of play.
The Barons, however, were also seeing success from deep, making seven treys in the first half while running out to a 38-27 halftime lead. They held a 38-25 lead with 1:57 to go in the half before two made free throws by Tensley Aldridge (FR/Denham Springs, La.) cut the deficit to 11 points heading into the break.
In the second half, the story changed for both teams. The defense of the Pack forced Brewton-Parker to go 0-10 on three-pointers, while the hot long-range shooting continued for Loyola.
Similar to the start of the game, the visiting Wolf Pack drew up a play for an open three on the first possession of the second half, where Brown was able to convert on his fourth triple of the game.
The Barons held at least a six-point lead throughout the first 10 minutes of the second half, but the Pack continued chipping away and looking for openings, with Parker hitting his second three of the game to cut the home lead to four points at 51-47 with 10:01 remaining.
Brewton-Parker would extend their lead back up to nine points, leading 58-49 with 7:32 to go, but the Wolf Pack would quickly respond, going on an 11-2 run to tie the game at 60-60 with just under five minutes left to play. Over the course of the run, Jasmine hit on two more three-pointers, bringing his total to four on the night, setting a new career-high. After Brown converted on an and-one opportunity, his layup tied the game at 60, giving him 20 points for a new season high as well.
The two teams would trade baskets over the next several minutes, which featured three more ties. With the game even at 65-65 and the Barons looking to score, Brown came up with a key steal on a scoring attempt by Brewton-Parker's Dimychael Ross, giving the Wolf Pack an opportunity to take the lead with 1:13 left in the game. Loyola then took its first lead since early in the game after two made free throws by Jasmine gave them a 67-65 lead with 57 seconds on the clock.
Ross attempted to tie the game with a mid-range jump shot but Trey LaForge (SO/New Orleans, La.) came up with a huge block, collecting the rebound and forcing the Barons to foul to stop the clock. Parker converted two free throws with 19 seconds left to give the Pack a 69-65 lead.
Brewton-Parker's Michael Volley scored on a quick layup to cut Loyola's lead to 69-67, then Ross intercepted a pass from LaForge intended for Parker, giving the Barons an attempt to score with seven seconds remaining. However, the Wolf Pack defense locked in, forcing two long three-point attempts that both missed, and Loyola completed the comeback victory.
Jasmine finished with a career-high 23 points on 7-15 (46.7%) from the floor and 4-6 (66.7%) from beyond the arc. He was also a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line while collecting two steals and four boards.
Brown also made four triples on the night, going 4-7 (57.1%) from deep and 6-12 (50%) overall, while grabbing six rebounds and shooting 4-4 from the charity stripe.
Volley and Devon White each had 15 points to lead the Barons in scoring.
The Pack will remain in Georgia for the weekend, as they head to Middle Georgia State to face the Knights on Saturday, February 3rd at 3 p.m.
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