Loyola’s comeback bid falls short Saturday

NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola Wolf Pack men's basketball team had the game-tying 3-pointer rim out on Saturday in a valiant effort after trailing by as many as 19 points in the second half, but the Mobile Rams were able to defeat the Loyola Wolf Pack, 62-59. Loyola (7-14, 6-8 in SSAC) will now travel to Dalton State on Thursday as its Southern States Athletic Conference schedule continues in the final three weeks of the regular season. 
 

It was a low-scoring game to start, but Milan Mejia got things started with a 3-pointer followed by a score from Julian Baldwin, 5-2. Mobile went up 6-5 at the 14-minute mark, then Mejia hit another 3 to flip the lead in Loyola's favor again, 8-6. The two teams combined to make seven shots on 25 attempts through the first 10 minutes, with the Rams leading by two, 10-8. 
 

Braelee Albert entered the game after that and made two field goals, however, the Rams led 16-12 at the eight-minute mark. After that, the Rams got hot from the 3-point line with two more from long-rage, 22-12, and they maintained their 10-point lead, 28-18, with less than three minutes until halftime. Mejia led the Wolf Pack in the first 20 minutes of play with eight points, as Mobile went into the locker room leading by 16, 36-20. 
 

Baldwin scored the first four points by either team in the second half, but Mobile had an answer on its way to a 43-26 lead after four minutes of play. Trailing by 19, Mejia scored and Alex Hammond put up four quick points to give the Pack a 6-0 run, 47-34, however, the Rams had another answer by taking a 53-36 lead at the halfway point of the half. 
 

Hammond had nine second-half points by the nine-minute mark to help keep Loyola in the game, 53-39, then trailing by 17, Loyola used a 7-1 run to get within 11 at the six-minute mark. Albert scored three points during that stretch, and Kameron Johnson swished a 3 to make it a 57-46 deficit. Mejia made it a 10-1 run 90 seconds later with a 3-pointer, and that was followed by another 3 by Johnson, 57-52. In total, it was a 14-1 run and 11 straight points that saw Mobile's lead shrink to four, 57-53, with three minutes to play. 
 

Zachary Lee got the Pack to within three with a shot-clock-beating jumper, 58-55, then the junior scored again, 58-57, with a minute to play. After the Rams hit a 3, Lee scored again, 61-59, then when Mobile made one free throw with nine seconds remaining, Johnson's game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out. 
 

Pack Facts

• Milan Mejia led the Wolf Pack in scoring with 14 points, hitting 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. 

• This was Mejia's eighth game this season with at least three triples.

• Kameron Johnson also made two three-pointers, his fourth game this season with two long-range makes. 

• Alex Hammond was the game's other double-digit scorer for the Pack, finishing with 12 points and a team-high four assists.

• Zach Lee was close to a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds. It was his fourth consecutive game with at least 10 boards.