William Carey edges Loyola Monday

NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola Wolf Pack and William Carey Crusaders were locked in a tight one Monday night in The Den, but the Crusaders prevailed with the 82-80 Southern States Athletic Conference win. 

The Wolf Pack (15-5, 7-3 in SSAC) will hit the road later this week to take on Dalton State (Ga.) and Life University (Ga.). First, Loyola will play the Roadrunners in a 6 p.m. CST matchup before a 1 p.m. CST matchup with the Running Eagles on Saturday. 

Loyola led 6-2 and 8-4 in the early going, but the Crusaders outscored the Wolf Pack 25-7 over the next six-plus minutes of game time to take a 14-point lead, 29-15, near the halfway point of the first half. Zachary Lee led the team with five points during that early portion, and Kameron Johnson and Cameron Williams each had four. 

From there, though, the Wolf Pack caught fire. Powered by eight points from Johnson and seven from Kosta Bjelicic, they went on a 22-9 run to cut the deficit to one, 38-37, with 1:17 left. Williams got the run started, and Reece Seicshnaydre turned a steal into a score after a couple of points from Johnson and Bjelici, 31-24. Johnson and Bjelicic scored eight straight points a couple of minutes later to get to the one-point game. The Crusaders were able to get a couple of buckets in the final minute of the first half to bring their lead to 42-39 at the half. 

The Pack took their first lead since early in the game, 46-45, after more than three minutes of play in the second half. Bjelicic scored first, then Leonard Jackson made two free throws and a 3-pointer. Lee made 3 a couple of minutes later to put the Pack back on top, and another 3 by Jackson kept Loyola in front 56-52. The Crusaders, however, took the lead back around the 12-minute mark and pushed the score 66-60 before both teams went on a scoring drought for a couple of minutes. 

Johnson hit a 3 at the 9:20 mark, and Jackson scored five points in 30 seconds to give the Wolf Pack the momentum again, 70-68, Wolf Pack. The two teams traded a couple of free throws to tie the game at 73-all at the four-minute mark. A 3-pointer from Lee tied it again, 76-76, and two free throws by Williams evened the score once more, 80-80. 

Loyola had a good defensive effort, but it eventually led to two made free throws by the Crusaders, 82-80. Loyola's final shot with 4.5 seconds remaining rimmed off as the buzzer sounded. 

Pack Facts

• Kameron Johnson led all scorers with 19 points, adding a game-high nine assists as well. 

• Johnson is now fifth in career assists at Loyola with 325. 

• Zachary Lee was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, hitting all three of his three-point attempts, and he went 2-for-2 at the line. 

• Leonard Jackson scored 15 points, all in the second half, while also contributing six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. 

• Kosta Bjelicic put up 15 points to go along with nine rebounds.