Box Score Loyola edges out the Roadrunners for their 10th win of the season
NEW ORLEANS – Down by as many as 16 points in the first half, the Loyola University New Orleans men's basketball team roared back to capture a 73-72 victory over Dalton State Thursday night in The Den.
The Wolf Pack (10-6, 5-4 SSAC) scored first, as Terry Smith Jr converted a free throw, but the Roadrunners (10-7, 5-4) controlled the beginning of the first half, opening up a 16-2 run. The visitors would hold as large as a 16-point lead as the Pack trailed 30-14 with 7:20 to go in the half. Loyola then went on a scoring run of their own, putting up 12 unanswered points to cut the lead to just four. The Pack would end the half down 38-34, with Ethan Turner hitting three key three-pointers in the final six minutes.
Turner hit his fourth triple of the game to begin the second half as the Wolf Pack steadily chipped away at the Roadrunner lead. Zach Wrightsil tied the game at 44-44 with five minutes gone in the period after his fifth made free throw of the half. Wrightsil then found Burns on a fastbreak with a behind-the-back pass that led to a go-ahead layup, as Loyola took their first lead since the opening minutes.
After the Wolf Pack secured a 48-46 advantage with 14:30 left in the game, they were able to hold the lead until the final buzzer.
The Wolf Pack continue their five-game homestand with a 4 p.m. matchup against Martin Methodist on Saturday in The Den.
Wolf Pack Head Coach Stacy Hollowell
"Dalton State did a great job in their preparation for us. They came out and put us in a position where we couldn't afford to make many mistakes and were really able to establish Elijah Staley in the first half. Then our guys were able to keep composed through the big run, and we slowly chipped away to get us back in the game before the half. We felt going into the locker that we had a plan that would put us in a position to win the game if we just stuck with it. We definitely did a better job with Staley in the second half and held him to three points. Ethan Turner and Eric Brown had some big threes for us in key moments, and Myles Burns was big on the glass. Ben Fields did a nice job communicating with our young guys and made sure that people were accounted for."
Pack Facts
The Wolf Pack pick up their first victory over Dalton State since the Roadrunners joined the SSAC in 2014.
Zach Wrightsil posted his fourth-straight double-double tonight with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and his eighth on the season.
Myles Burns scored 16 while grabbing 13 boards for his second-consecutive double-double, and his fifth of the year.
Ethan Turner sunk four key three-pointers tonight, pushing his career total to 149 and moving him into eighth place in the school record books for career makes from deep.
Three players registered both a block and steal: Myles Burns (two blocks, one steal), Tre'Von Jasmine (one block, one steal) and Terry Smith Jr. (one block, one steal).
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.
