Loyola proves clutch in win over Point

NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola Wolf Pack men's basketball team and Point University battled in a close Southern States Athletic Conference contest on Thursday, but it was the Wolf Pack that made enough shots at the end to win, 69-66, in The Den. On Saturday, Loyola will continue conference competition with Thomas University for a 2 p.m. tip-off. Wolf Pack Athletics will also honor its Hall of Fame inductees at halftime, including former player Chad Barnes. 
 

Point grabbed an early lead, but the Wolf Pack tied the game six times leading to a 14-14 score six minutes into the contest. Zachary Lee started the scoring with an old-fashioned 3-point play before two free throws by Alex Hammond, 5-5. Milan Mejia tied it at 8-all with a 3, and scores by Hammond and Bradley Alcime kept it tied. After the 14-14 tie, though, the Skyhawks went on a 10-3 run over the next four minutes to take a 24-17 lead at the halfway point of the first half.
 

The Wolf Pack slowed down the Skyhawks with scores from Troy Thomas and Eddie Burgess. In addition, seven points by Braelee Albert brought the Point lead down to two, 30-28, with six minutes left in the half. That was the start of a 20-7 run for Loyola, eventually taking a 37-31 lead at the 1:36-minute mark. Hammond and Mejia contributed five and four points, respectively, during that stretch, too. Leonard Jackson and Lee both scored during the final 90 seconds to give the Pack a 41-37 lead at the break. 
 

Loyola maintained its lead in the early going of the second half thanks to scores by Alcime and Burgess, but Point was able to tie the game five-plus minutes in, 48-48. Mejia hit a 3-pointer and two free throws after that. Then, two Hammond free throws quickly extended the lead back out to 55-48, three minutes later. Loyola went scoreless during the next couple of minutes, but good defense, a made shot from Burgess and two Hammond free throws kept the Pack in front, 59-56, with more than five mintues to play.
 

Point was able to take the 1-point lead with a little more than three minutes to go, even extending it to 64-60 at the 2:39 mark. Hammond and Mejia, though, combined for five points, including an old-fashioned 3-point play by Mejia, to put the Pack back on top, 65-64 with two minutes remaining. After Lee got an offensive board and a put back up for the score, 67-54, Albert blocked a Point shot that led to a bucket by Mejia, 69-64, which helped seal the win for Loyola. 
 

Pack Facts

• Alex Hammond poured in 24 points, a new career high, after going 5-of-7 from the field and 14-of-19 from the free throw line. 

• The team's leading scorer this season at 15.2 points per game, Hammond has been over 20 points in four separate games this season. 

• Milan Mejia was also in double figures with 17 points, hitting two shots from distance. It was Mejia's 12th game scoring double digits this season. 

• Braelee Albert turned in an all-time defensive performance, finishing with a stat line of seven points, five rebounds, a steal, and six blocks. 

• This was the first game in which a Loyola player recorded six blocks in almost seven years. Nate Pierre blocked six shots against Coastal Georgia on January 28, 2017. 

• Zachary Lee filled up the box score with seven points, nine rebounds, and a career-high six assists. His nine boards also tied a career best.

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