THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The Loyola University New Orleans men's basketball team took its first Southern States Athletic Conference loss of the season on Saturday, dropping a road contest to Thomas University, 66-63. The Wolf Pack (3-5, 2-1) will take a break from league play next week with two non-conference matchups with in-state opponents. First, Loyola will make a return trip to LSU Shreveport on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game, then it'll host LSU Alexandra on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Saturday's game has been dubbed the Men's Basketball Alumni Game, as the program will welcome back former Wolf Pack men's basketball student-athletes for a weekend of celebration. More information and tickets for the event can be purchased here.
The two teams traded a couple of baskets to start the game, but 3-pointers by Alex Hammond and Milan Mejia gave the Wolf Pack the 8-4 lead four minutes in. Another 3 by Hammond made it an 11-7 score, but both teams would go on a scoring drought over the next few minutes. Finally, Julian Baldwin got one to go around the 9:30 mark, and that sparked a 9-2 run to give Loyola a 20-11 advantage with 7:40 left on the clock. Baldwin scored again during that stretch and Hammond hit another 3.
Thomas, however, would answer with a 12-2 run to regain the lead at 23-22 with two minutes left. Braelee Albert converted an old-fashioned 3-point play for Loyola's last points of the half, as the Night Hawks took a 28-25 lead into the locker room.
Thomas led for the entire second half except for a brief tie, but Loyola was within striking distance for most of the period. Hammond and Kameron Johnson kept it a one-possession game early, and two Eddie Burgess free throws in the first three-plus-minutes brought the TU lead to 33-31. Field goals by Hammond and Baldwin, as well as free throws from Zachary Lee, answered Night Hawks scores, and Loyola was finally able to tie at 44-all with an Albert bucket at the halfway point.
A Mejia 3-pointer cut the deficit to one, 48-47, a couple of minutes later, but Thomas made it a 58-49 lead at the 3:30 mark with a 10-2 run. Albert scored six points to keep the Pack in it, but a 3-pointer by Thomas made it a nine-point lead again, 64-55, for the host with less than a minute left. Three points by Hammond and a put-back for Cameron Williams cut it to four, but there wasn't enough time to complete the comeback.
Pack Facts
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Alex Hammond was the game's leading scorer, putting in 18 points to go along with a team-high eight rebounds and two assists.
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This was Hammond's sixth game in double figures this season.
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Braelee Albert was also into double figures for the second time in three games, posting 11 points plus five boards.
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Starting his third game of the season, Cameron Williams grabbed a new career high with seven rebounds to go along with seven points.
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