DSU outlasts Loyola Wednesday

NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola Wolf Pack and Dalton State Roadrunners played a close game Wednesday night in The Den, but the visitors pulled away and held on for an 89-82 Southern States Athletic Conference win. The Pack is now 4-9 overall and 3-3 in league play, and they'll host Life University on Saturday at 2 p.m. for another SSAC contest. 
 

The two teams played evenly for the majority of the first half, including both shooting 7-for-14 by the first media timeout at the 12-minute mark with the score reading 17-16 in DSU's favor. Milan Mejia hit one of his four first-half 3s during that time while Zachary Lee and Leonard Jackson led the Wolf Pack with six and five points each. The score flipped six times during that stretch, too. 
 

The Roadrunners used three offensive rebounds and three Loyola turnovers to take a 35-29 lead by the second media timeout at the five-minute mark of the first half. Loyola, however, got 3-pointers from Mejia and Jackson after that, and Dalton State was called for two technical fouls to allow the Wolf Pack to cut the score to one, 44-43, with more than a minute left until halftime. Bradley Alcime tied it under a minute, then two more free throws by Mejia, which gave him 18 first-half points, allowed the Pack to take a 47-46 advantage at the break. 
 

DSU used an 18-11 run in the first eight minutes of the second half to jump out to a 64-58 lead on the Wolf Pack. Mejia scored his 20th point during those opening minutes and Jackson wasn't too far behind his teammate with 15 points after making a field goal during that same span. After the Roadrunners went ahead by eight a minute later, a combination of Mejia, Eddie Burgess and Reece Seicshnaydre cut the deficit to three, 70-67, with more than seven minutes left in the game. 
 

The visitors then pushed back ahead by 10, 79-69, with less than four minutes to go, but 3s by Mejia, Jackson and Seicshnaydre made it a four-point game, 84-80 with 30 seconds on the clock. Troy Thomas made a shot to make it a two-point game, however, DSU made the final five points - all coming from the free throw - to seal the win. 
 

Pack Facts

• Milan Mejia played all 40 minutes for the Wolf Pack, putting up new career highs of 25 points and six assists. 

• Reece Seicshnaydre also earned a new career high, posting 14 points to go along with six assists, five rebounds, a steal, and a block. 

• Leonard Jackson logged his first career double-double, finishing the game with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists. 

• The Wolf Pack made 11 of their 28 three-point attempts (39.3%). Mejia led the team, going 5-for-11 from deep. Jackson was 4-of-6, while Seicshnaydre made 2-of-5. 

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