NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola Wolf Pack men's basketball team is no stranger to overtime games this season. In just their seventh regular-season game, the Wolf Pack has now played in seven extra periods, the latest a 78-74 win at Xavier in just a single overtime contest. Both Loyola-Xavier matchups have gone to overtime, too, with the first game going to four overtimes before the Wolf Pack prevailed in The Den earlier this month.
Loyola is now 5-2 overall, and it'll open Southern States Athletic Conference play at William Carey on Saturday. Tip-off in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, is set for 2 p.m.
The reigning SSAC Offensive Player of the Week, Zachary Lee, scored the game's first four points, and Kameron Johnson made it a 6-0 early lead for the Wolf Pack. XULA scored six straight before Cameron Johnson made two free throws to put Loyola back in the lead, 8-6, five minutes into the contest. The Gold Rush scored eight of the game's next 10 points, 14-10, before Eain Mowat nailed a 3, 14-13, near the halfway point of the first half.
Two free throws by Johnson put Loyola back in front, but that didn't last long, as Xavier answered a minute later. The hosts maintained a lead or the game was tied for the rest of the first half, with Lee scoring six points down the stretch to help keep the Wolf Pack close. Lee answered a XULA 3-pointer, 21-19, with 6:40 left until halftime, and he tied the game, 23-23, with four straight points a minute later. Cameron Williams tied it at 25-all near the four-minute mark, then Johnson hit a 3 a couple of minutes later to keep Loyola within two, 33-31. The Gold Rush added one more basket before the end of the half, sending the two teams into the locker room with a 35-31 score
Leonard Jackson, Lee, Johnson and Williams all scored in the first five minutes of the second half to get the game tied, 40-40, but eight straight by XULA extended its lead back out to 48-41 two-plus minutes later. Both teams struggled to score over the next couple of minutes, as baskets by Kosta Bjelicic and Jackson kept it a four-point deficit, 50-46, with 8:30 left on the clock. Another score by Jackson and two free throws by Williams eventually tied it, 50-50. Xavier, though, answered once again to take a 58-52 advantage with four and a half to go.
Trailing 62-56 with three minutes remaining, six points by Mowat, which included two 3s, helped tie the game and send the game into overtime.
The Gold Rush grabbed the first lead of overtime, but Lee flipped it in Loyola's favor with a 3, 67-66. There was another lead change for Xavier, however, Bjelicic tied it twice at 68 and 70 with a free throw and a put-back lay-in with 1:39 on the clock. Lee and Bjelicic were at it again, as two Lee throws made it a 72-70 lead, then Bjelicic grabbed another offensive rebound and scored to push the advantage to four. Both Johnson and Lee hit their free throws down the stretch to put Xavier away for the second time this season in overtime.
Pack Facts
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Reigning SSAC Player of the Week Zachary Lee led all scorers with 23 points on 7-of-12 from the field. He was also 8-of-9 at the stripe, including four free throws in the final minute of overtime to help ice the game.
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Kosta Bjelicic pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds to help Loyola win the battle of the boards 53-33 against Xavier. It's the highest rebounding margin for the Pack since January 21, 2023, when Loyola out-rebounded Middle Georgia 43-21.
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Bjelcic also led the Wolf Pack with five assists and three blocks, adding 12 points to his 15 boards for his first double-double of the season.
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Kameron Johnson also put up 12 points, adding eight rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block.
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Contributing 11 total points, Eain Mowat continued his hot shooting off the bench after knocking down three triples, including a long bank shot with a minute to go in regulation.
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Cameron Williams was the fifth Wolf Pack player in double figures, scoring 10 points with six rebounds in just 21 minutes.
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Leonard Jackson brought the energy off the bench, scoring nine points with eight rebounds and a pair of steals.
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