Wolf Pack wins SSAC matchup in return to The Den

NEW ORLEANS – Loyola returned to The Den on Thursday after a two-game road trip, and the Wolf Pack secured the, 85-68, win against SSAC opponent Abraham Baldwin (Ga.) for its first conference matchup of the weekend. Loyola will continue its homestand when it faces Life University on Saturday at 2 p.m. in The Den. 
 

The Wolf Pack struck first in the game with a dunk by Julian Baldwin. After a Stallion triple, Kameron Johnson made a bucket to regain the lead, 4-3. Leonard Jackson made a basket after an offensive board, then Milan Mejia hit back-to-back treys to extend Loyola's lead, 12-5. Baldwin scored once again to end Loyola's 8-0 run, 14-5. Cameron Williams added a triple to Loyola's total, then a score by Kosta Bjelicic brought the Pack's lead to nine, 19-10. Reece Seicshnaydre got on the board with an assist from Jarvis Brown, 21-13.
 

At the halfway point of the first half, Brown made two shots at the foul line to give Loyola its first double-digit lead, 23-13. The teams exchanged scores from there with Loyola maintaining its lead around the double-digit mark. Jackson got a steal, which led to a slam, 31-20. The Stallions slowly chipped away at Loyola's lead as the first half came to a close. Johnson made two free throws, then Williams made a layup, but ABAC managed to cut the Wolf Pack lead to six, 41-35.
 

The Pack got back out to a double-digit lead in the early going of the second half. Baldwin knocked down a jumper, then Johnson made a layup, just before a Jackson jam, 47-35. The scoring slowed from there with both teams playing strong defensively. Mejia notched his fifth steal of the night en route to a charity stripe trip. 48-37. Brown and Williams sank 3-pointers, then Mejia made a layup to take a 12-point advantage, 56-44. Brown made another triple, with Seischnaydre making a jumper soon after, 63-46. 
 

Mejia hit a 3-pointer at the midway point of the second half to take the Pack lead to 20, 70-50. Over the following minutes, the Stallions began to diminish the Pack's advantage, 74-62. Despite ABAC's best efforts, the Wolf Pack stayed ahead to defend The Den, 85-68.
 

Pack Facts

• Reece Seicshnaydre poured in a career-high 16 points in 22 minutes off the bench, also contributing three assists, two rebounds, two steals, and a block. 

• Milan Mejia stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, five steals, five assists, four rebounds, and a block. He also hit 3-of-6 shots from three-point range, giving him 240 triples for his career. He needs eight more threes to set the all-time record at Loyola. 

• Jarvis Brown caught fire in the second half against ABA, hitting 3-of-6 from deep, and 5-of-9 from the field, for 15 points, his highest point total in his seven games at Loyola. 

• Cameron Williams grabbed a team-high five rebounds while putting up 12 points, his second time in double figures in the last three games. 

• Kosta Bjelicic was perfect from the field, 4-for-4, for eight points off the bench.

• As a team, Loyola made 35-of-63 from the field for 55.6 percent. That's Loyola's highest field goal percentage in a game this season. 

• The Wolf Pack's 35 field goals are the most in a regulation game since the opening game of Donald Reyes' tenure at Loyola, Oct. 20, 2022. 

• Kameron Johnson assisted on seven of those field goals, his second-highest assist total of the season. Overall, Loyola's 21 assists are tied for the second most in a game this season. 

• The team's 19 steals are the most since the 2022 NAIA National Championship tournament, when the Pack had 20 steals in the second round game and 25 in the first round.