Men’s basketball loses close contest at No. 14 LSU Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, La. – The Loyola Wolf Pack men's basketball team battled No. 14 LSU Alexandria to a close loss on Saturday, falling on the road, 88-84. The Pack will travel back to New Orleans with a 4-2 overall record with a cross-town matchup at Xavier set for Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
 

Cameron Williams and Zachary Lee hit two quick 3s to give Loyola an early 8-7 lead, and Kosta Bjelicic had four quick points to keep the lead, 10-9, five minutes into the game. Williams hit another 3-pointer, then scored again, to put the Pack back on top, 15-13, but LSUA took the lead and maintained it for a couple of minutes. 
 

Kameron Johnson had seven points to keep Loyola close, and finally, Bjelicic gave Loyola the lead again, 29-28, with less than five minutes until halftime. The two teams traded the lead a couple of times before halftime, as Johnson and Leonard Jackson both hit 3s, while the Generals got half of their points from the free-throw line. Loyola led 37-36 at the break.  
 

The entire second half was a back-and-forth slug fest with seven lead changes. After LSUA took the lead in the first couple of minutes, five straight points by Johnson put Loyola back in the lead, 42-40. Eain Mowat tied the game twice at 49 and 51, then he and Jackson both hit 3-pointers to give Loyola another lead, 57-56, with a little more than 11 minutes left. Three free throws by Mowat and two field goals by Lee flipped the lead once again in Loyola's favor, 64-63, with more than eight minutes to go, and scores by Johnson and Jackson put the Pack up four, 69-65, with six and a half minutes remaining. 
 

The Generals scored eight straight after that, 73-69, and a free throw by Bjelicic and a score by Lee tied it with four and a half to go. LSUA maintained its lead until a 3 by Mowat tied it again, 78-78, at the three-minute mark. Loyola wasn't able to pull back ahead, though, as the hosts built an 85-78 advantage at the one-minute mark. The Wolf Pack put up a solid effort, but LSUA held on for the win. 
 

Pack Facts

• Kameron Johnson led the Wolf Pack with 21 points, going 3-of-4 from three-point range while adding a game-high eight assists and two steals. 

• Cameron Williams and Eain Mowat each scored 14 points Saturday, with Mowat also coming away with a game-high three steals. 

• Zachary Lee went 5-of-7 from the field and 2-of-3 from distance for 12 points, grabbing a team-high eight rebounds as well. 

• Leonard Jackson hit three of his four attempts from deep for 11 points. 

• Kosta Bjelcic was the sixth player in double figures for the Pack, scoring 10 points with five rebounds, three assists, and a block.