Box Score The top-ranked Wolf Pack is now 16-1 overall this season after Monday's loss to Faulkner
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The No. 1 Loyola Wolf Pack men's basketball team finally got back on the court Monday after having their last three games called off, matching up with Faulkner for their first game in 11 days. The Eagles, though, handed Loyola its first loss of the season, 92-73, at Tine W. Davis Gymnasium in Montgomery, Alabama.
The loss now puts the Pack at 16-1 overall and 5-1 in the Southern States Athletic Conference, and they're next scheduled to host William Carey Saturday, Jan. 22, at 4 p.m. in The Den.
Faulkner had the early momentum, jumping out to a 15-5 lead over the Pack. Terry Smith Jr. scored four of those five points for Loyola, then a 3-pointer by Zach Muller and back-to-back scores for Zach Wrightsil cut the Eagles' lead to 17-11 with more than 12 minutes left until halftime. Jalen Galloway got hot from 3, making two long-range shots in less than 90 seconds, and another Wrightsil bucket narrowed the Faulkner advantage even more, 21-19, near the nine-minute mark.
After the Eagles briefly fought off Loyola's push to take its first lead of the game, Wrightsil finally put the Wolf Pack ahead after pulling down the rebound on the other end of the floor, but Faulkner quickly regained the lead less than a minute later. With four and a half minutes remaining in the first half, Andrew Fava made a 3-pointer to cut the score to a 1-point Faulkner lead, and Cameron Dumas made two shots in the final minutes to help Loyola stay close by halftime, 36-32.
Fava immediately made it a one-possession game with a 3 in the first minute of the second half, however, the Eagles scored seven straight points to push back ahead 43-35 a minute later. By the 15-minute mark, Faulkner had built a double-digit lead, 50-40, as Loyola only made two field goals by that point of the half. Faulkner took its largest lead at the time, 59-44, a couple of minutes later, then a 3-pointer by Brandon Davis cut the deficit to 11, 65-54, at the halfway point of the second 20-minute period.
From there, the Wolf Pack never could get the score down to single digits, as the Eagles maintained an 11-or-more-point lead for the rest of the contest.
Pack Facts
Brandon Davis led the way in scoring for the Pack with a stat line of 23 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block.
Davis went 16-20 in his many trips to the free-throw line Monday night. It's the most free throws for any Southern States Athletic Conference player in a game this season.
Zach Wrightsil was one rebound shy of a double-double, finishing with 18 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and a block.
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