Wolf Pack loses at Middle Georgia

COCHRAN, Ga. – The Loyola University New Orleans men's basketball team battled out of an early deficit on Saturday at Middle Georgia State. However, the Knights pushed back ahead in the second half to earn the 78-68 win over the Wolf Pack. Loyola will now play at Brewton-Parker on Monday at 1 p.m. CST. 
 

Loyola got off to a rough start, but even after falling behind 13-2 after six minutes of play, the Wolf Pack battled back to make it a seven-point deficit, 17-10, a couple of minutes later. Leonard Jackson made a couple of shots during that early stretch, then Cameron Williams added a 3-pointer and a 2-point basket to bring the score down to 22-15 with nine minutes left until halftime. 
 

After Kosta Bjelicic made a shot, 22-17, Williams added five more points and Milan Mejia made a 3 to get the Wolf Pack to within one, 32-21, with 90 seconds left on the clock. The Knights hit a couple of shots before the end of the half, though, to take a 37-31 advantage into the break. 
 

Julian Baldwin scored his first four points in the opening minute of the second half, then he added another score to help the Wolf Pack keep pace early, 41-37. A Jackson 3-pointer and Kameron Johnson's first points gave Loyola its first lead, 44-43, after four minutes ticked off the clock. MGA used a 10-0 run to jump back in the lead, but a 3 by Braelee Albert ended that run. However, Middle Georgia went on another long run, this time a 12-0 spurt, to push ahead 65-47 with nine minutes to go. 
 

The Knights only made one more field goal the rest of the way, but they did go 11-for-15 from the free-throw line to keep the Wolf Pack at bay. Albert added a 3 and Jackson scored four more points to help make it a nine-point game, 69-60, with less than four minutes to go, but the two teams were even the rest of the way to bring the game to its final, 78-68. 
 

Pack Facts

• Cameron Williams led the Wolf Pack in scoring, putting up 12 of his 14 points in the first half. 

• Williams Also had a team-high six rebounds. 

• Leonard Jackson (11 points) and Braelee Albert (10 points) also finished in double figures in the scoring column.

• Albert and Kameron Johnson tied for the game high with five assists each. 

• This was Johnson's 10th consecutive game recording at least four assists.