Box Score Playing in their first true home game of the season, the No. 1 Wolf Pack defeated the University of Fort Lauderdale inside The Den to improve to 14-0 overall this season
NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola Wolf Pack men's basketball team returned to The Den for the first time this season Sunday, taking down the University of Fort Lauderdale 86-68 to start 2022 on a good note. Due to damage sustained during Hurricane Ida in August, the University Sports Complex has not been able to host home games for the Wolf Pack athletics program. Thanks to the efforts of Loyola's Physical Plant, the Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center and WFF, Loyola is now able to play some of its home games in The Den while also still hosting games at Tulane's Devlin Fieldhouse.
The win moves the No. 1-ranked Wolf Pack to 14-0 overall this season and they'll resume Southern States Athletic Conference play with a 7:30 p.m. contest against Mobile Monday at Tulane's Devlin Fieldhouse. The Pack is 3-0 in conference play so far this season.
Zach Wrightsil and Brandon Davis combined to score the first six points in the first two minutes of the game before the Eagles could get on the board, as Davis quickly got himself in double figures with 10 points in 10 game minutes. The sophomore's efforts helped the Pack take a 26-15 lead midway through the first half, and Terry Smith Jr. contributed during that run with six points, too.
Zach Muller kept the pressure on Fort Lauderdale with a steal and dunk a couple of minutes later to give Loyola a 30-17 lead, then back-to-back scores by Davis and Muller helped the Wolf Pack hold a 12-point lead with five minutes until halftime. Those two scored consecutive baskets again with 90 seconds to play, and Loyola went into the break with a 41-26 advantage.
Andrew Fava began the second half with five quick points for the Wolf Pack, and made shots by Myles Burns and Wrightsil put Loyola ahead of the Eagles 50-28 just three minutes into the half. Shortly after, Smith continued his solid game with two consecutive scores, then Wrightsil and Burns went back-to-back again to jump up 63-38 with 12 minutes to play.
Milan Mejia and Josh Leaney got in on the action down the stretch, as the Wolf Pack continued to hold a 20-plus-point lead.
Pack Facts
The Wolf Pack forced 33 turnovers and collected 25 steals, the most by a Loyola team in the modern era.
Five players had at least three steals, with Zach Wrightsil leading the way with five. He now has 152 steals for his career, the fifth-most in Loyola history.
Wrightsil finished with 15 points, four rebounds, five steals, and a career-high five blocks.
Myles Burns notched his fourth double-double of the season, putting up a stat line of 16 points, 10 boards, five assists, four steals, and two blocks.
Burns now has 1,458 points scored in his Wolf Pack career, moving him into the 10th spot on the Loyola all-time scoring list.
Brandon Davis led the Pack in scoring with 18 points on an efficient 6-for-8 from the field, 2-for-3 from 3pt, and 4-for-4 at the free-throw line. Davis also had a team-high six assists and four steals.
Terry Smith Jr. was the fourth player to score in double figures, putting up 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Smith has had four games this season scoring double digits off the bench.
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