Wolf Pack drops conference matchup Saturday

NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola Wolf Pack men's basketball team suffered an 86-68 defeat to Life University on Saturday, dropping to 4-10 overall and 3-4 in Southern States Athletic Conference play. The Pack is back in action next week, traveling to league foes Blue Mountain Christian on Thursday and UT Southern on Saturday. 
 

Both teams started slow, as Loyola's Bradley Alcime scored the game's first points on a put-back layup nearly three minutes into the contest. Life scored the next nine points before Zachary Lee got on the board, 9-4, but a 14-4 start for the Running Eagles prompted a Loyola timeout with 13 minutes on the clock. Milan Mejia scored five quick points after the timeout, including a 3-pointer, and Eddie Burgess got the Pack to within seven, 18-11, by the media timeout at the 11-minute mark. 
 

Life got hot over the next four-plus minutes, making four 3-pointers on its way to an 18-point lead, 34-16, with 5:22 on the clock. An Alcime 3-pointer sparked an 11-2 run for the Wolf Pack that cut the deficit to 36-27 with more than a minute left. Alcime had six points during that stretch, while Leonard Jackson contributed three points and Hammond added two. Loyola had a chance to get closer, but it missed its two only shots in the final minute while the Running Eagles scored at the buzzer to bring the score to 38-27 at the break. 
 

Alcime, Jackson and Lee all scored a couple of points in the opening minutes of the second half to cut the Life lead to eight, 41-33, but the Running Eagles kept scoring to maintain a nine-to-11-point lead. Leading 46-37, Life outscored the Wolf Pack 14-5 over the next three-plus minutes to go ahead 60-42 at the 12-minute mark. 
 

Loyola scored 13 of the game's next 19 points with Hammond leading the way with six of those points. Mejia started that run with a 3, then Hammond made two field goals and two free throws to make it a 66-55 contest with eight minutes to play. Two Jackson free throws after a Lee steal cut it to single digits, then the junior answered a Life bucket to stay with nine, 68-59, with six and a half left in the game. 
 

Life quickly extended its lead again and never relinquished it. 
 

Pack Facts

• Leonard Jackson led the game in scoring with 15 points, going 6-of-9 from the field. It's his third double-digit scoring effort in the last four games. 

• Alex Hammond finished with 14 points and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. He also led the team in steals with four. 

• Milan Mejia led the team with eight rebounds while pouring in 11 points and making three shots from distance. 

• Five total Wolf Pack players put up double figures, with Zachary Lee and Bradley Alcime each having 10. Lee also dished out five assists to lead the team.