Box Score Nick Parker (SR/Port Allen, La.) scores a game-high 24 points in his final home game. Chase Eckholdt (SR/Mandeville, La.), Benjamin Fields, and Robert White (SR/Los Angeles, Calif.) also have solid performances.
NEW ORLEANS - The Loyola University New Orleans men's basketball team ended the regular season on a high note, picking up a 72-62 victory over Blue Mountain College on Saturday at The Den.
The Wolf Pack (15-12, 11-6) started their senior day game against the Toppers (6-18, 3-15) with a lineup that featured all four of the team's senior class members: Chase Eckholdt, Benjamin Fields (SR/Bernice, La.), Nick Parker, and Robert White.
Parker opened the game with a three-pointer that was followed by a layup from Fields. Then, White came up with two big blocks which led to another triple from Parker. Adding in a free throw from Parker, the Pack were up 9-2 with just under four minutes gone from the game clock. All seniors contributed to that early run, with Eckholdt assisting on all of the first three baskets for the Pack.
Eckholdt wasn't done assisting his teammates there, as he would pick up three more dimes, collecting six for the first half.
After a Topper field goal with 4:47 left in the half cut Loyola's lead to 25-16, the Pack went on a 10-0 run capped off by back-to-back treys from Parker to go up 35-16 with 3:04 left in the half.
Blue Mountain ended the half making a three, but Loyola would take a 37-25 lead into the halftime break, with Parker leading all scorers at 15 points.
Coming out of the break, the seniors continued to make contributions, as Fields posted up for the first two points of the second half. Parker then got a nice steal and layup as the Pack went up 40-27. Then after a made three from Eric Brown (JR/Homer, La.), Parker was blocked on a layup attempt, but fellow senior White was able to grab the rebound for a putback dunk.
Later, with 7:20 left in the game, Terry Smith Jr. (FR/Chicago, Ill.) got another steal for the Wolf Pack, taking it coast-to-coast for a slam on the other end as Loyola went up 55-41.
The remainder of the game became mostly a free throw shooting contest, as both teams combined for 31 fouls in the second half. The Pack finished 18-25 from the charity stripe, while their opponent shot 19-29.
The Toppers started to stage a comeback effort late in the second half, as they reduced the Loyola lead to 66-60 with just 1:40 to go. The Pack, however, were able to pull away in the end. Tre'Von Jasmine (JR/Edgard, La.) knocked down two free throws and avoided the full court press to score a layup; then Nick Parker sealed the game with a similar layup in transition following a Blue Mountain miss.
Parker finished with 24 of the Wolf Pack's 72 points in the 72-62 win. Parker also tied a season high with four steals. Fields nearly notched another double-double, recording nine points and nine rebounds in 14 minutes.
White finished with four points, seven rebounds, and two blocks, which set the defensive tone early for the Pack. Eckholdt's six assists are his second-highest total on the season, and he also finished with one steal, which stopped a potential Toppers run late in the first half.
For the Toppers, Anthony Marcus led the team in scoring with 19 points, followed by Jaylon Bardley, who was 4-23 from the field for 17 points, while also nabbing six steals.
In his last home game for the Pack, Parker moves into the top 10 in points scored in program history with 1421 in his four years so far. He also moves into third in career steals with 153, and is now tied for 10th in assists (207) and sixth in threes made (184)
Up next for the Pack will be the Southern States Athletic Conference Championships in Montgomery, Ala., which will begin next Wednesday, February 28th. Loyola will be the No. 3 seed, with their first game coming against the No. 6-seeded Middle Georgia State at 10:45 a.m.
You can keep up with the Pack by following Wolf Pack Athletics on Facebook at Facebook.com/LoyolaWolfPack, Twitter and Instagram @LoyolaWolfPack, and by checking out our website at LoyolaWolfPack.com.
