Stillman edges Loyola Thursday

NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola University New Orleans men's basketball team took a close loss to Stillman College on Thursday, dropping the contest, 85-80, in The Den. Loyola (7-13, 6-7 in SSAC) will now host No. 20 Mobile on Saturday at 2 p.m. in another Southern States Athletic Conference matchup. 
 

Alex Hammond got the scoring started for the Wolf Pack, then Julian Baldwin and Braelee Albert got in on the action to make it a 9-8 Loyola lead early in the game. The lead continued to change sides, as Baldwin scored to make it 11-10 and Milan Mejia nailed a 3-pointer to put the Pack up 18-16 at the 12-minute mark. Albert made it a four-point lead a minute later, 20-16, but Stillman pushed back ahead 24-20 with less than nine minutes left in the first half. 
 

The Tigers led 29-22 with 6:40 on the clock, but Zachary Lee sparked a 13-1 run for the Wolf Pack that saw their lead go to 35-30 with three minutes left. Hammond made three 3s during that stretch, too, and Albert added another from long-range, 39-34, with 30 seconds left. Hammond finished off Loyola's scoring with a bucket in the final three seconds to send the Wolf Pack into the break with a 41-35 advantage. 
 

Baldwin got into double figures with a score in the first nine seconds of the second half, and Mejia answered a couple of Stillman buckets with an old-fashioned 3-point play to give Loyola a 46-40 lead. Mejia gave the Pack a nine-point cushion, 49-40, with a 3, then Hammond and Mejia kept Loyola ahead, 53-48, with two points each at the 15:30 mark. Mejia converted another and-1 opportunity, but the Tigers scored nine straight after that to jump up 60-56 with 13 minutes left in the game. 
 

Hammond kept Loyola within one possession, 63-60, a couple of minutes later. Stillman, though, extended its advantage to 10, 70-60, then 11, 73-62, under six minutes. Leonard Jackson had a big offensive rebound and put-back, 73-65, and four points by Baldwin kept the Pack within striking distance, 77-71, with more than three minutes to play. Two free throws and a driving layup by Hammond made it a five-point deficit with 48 seconds on the clock, then the sophomore cut it to four, 81-77, with 38 seconds on the clock. In the end, Stillman made its free throws to seal the win. 
 

Pack Facts

• Alex Hammond set a new career high with 25 points after shooting 9-of-12 from the floor. He also had six assists. 

• Zachary Lee led the team in rebounding with 11 boards to go along with six assists and four points. 

• Milan Mejia and Braelee Albert each poured in 15 points.

• Julian Baldwin scored his most points in a Wolf Pack uniform, going 6-of-9 on field goals to finish with 14 points. It was his first game in double figures this season. 

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