MARIETTA, Ga. – The (RV) Loyola Wolf Pack men's basketball team made it a 2-0 weekend in Georgia with an 84-79 victory at Life University on Saturday. The win moves the Wolf Pack to 17-5 overall and 9-3 in Southern States Athletic Conference play.
The Pack will next host Abraham Baldwin (Ga.) and Thomas University (Ga.) in The Den next Thursday and Saturday.
Kameron Johnson started the game with a quick 3-pointer, but Life was able to jump out to an early 8-3 lead after two and a half minutes of play. Kosta Bjelicic got on the board, then Leonard Jackson started to heat up with his first 3 of the game to even the score a minute later. Zachary Lee, Johnson and Bjelicic scored on three consecutive possessions to put Loyola ahead 14-10 at the 14-minute mark. Threes by Reece Seicshnaydre and Georgios Vassilakis gave Loyola a 22-14 lead at the midway point of the first half.
Two quick buckets by Jackson, one being a 3, gave Loyola a double-digit lead, 27-17, but a 12-0 run for the Running Eagles saw them regain the advantage, 29-27, at the 4:48 mark. The two teams traded shots for the remainder of the half, with Jackson adding five more points, but a 3 by Life broke a late tie to send the teams into the locker rooms with the hosts leading 41-38.
Two quick baskets by Bjelicic helped keep Loyola close to its counterparts, 43-42, in the early going of the second half, but Life took an 11-point lead, 55-44, five-plus minutes into the new period. Johnson and Jackson each hit 3s, and Lee added three more points, to cut the deficit down to four, 59-55, with more than 10 minutes left. Johnson nailed another 3-pointer after that, then Seicshnaydre followed that up with another from long-range to flip the lead to Loyola's favor, 61-59, at the 10-minute mark.
The two teams traded the lead a couple of times, as Seicshnaydre and Lee took turns putting the Wolf Pack back on top. A Jackson 3 tied it a couple of minutes later, then Lee and Jackson both made shots to give Loyola a five-point advantage, 76-71, with four minutes left. Points were hard to come by for the next couple of minutes, as Life got Loyola's lead down to two, 77-75. Bjelicic, Lee and Johnson all made free throws in the final 90 seconds to hold on to the win.
Pack Facts
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Leonard Jackson tied a career high with 24 points, making six shots from beyond the arc to lead the game in scoring.
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Jackson has hit double figures in scoring in 14 consecutive games.
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Kosta Bjelicic pulled down 13 rebounds en route to his second double-double of the season.
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Zachary Lee filled up the box score, pouring in 19 points, adding a career-high nine assists, six rebounds, and a steal.
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Kameron Johnson posted 15 points, five assists, three boards, and a team-high two steals. It was his eighth straight game with at least 15 points scored.
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As a team, Loyola made 13 three-pointers in the game, led by Jackson's six. Johnson made three from beyond the arc, as did Reece Seicshnaydre, and Georgios Vassilakis also made one.
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