NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola Wolf Pack men's basketball team dominated from start to finish on Saturday, defeating Tennessee Southern 95-78 to cap off the regular season. Loyola will enter next week's Southern States Athletic Conference Championship as the West No. 3 seed with a 22-6 overall record and a 14-4 mark in league play.
The Wolf Pack used a hot-shooting first half to take a 26-point lead at the break, 52-28, and all started with the first of four first-half 3-pointers from Leonard Jackson. Cameron Williams had a dunk in the early going, too, but the Firehawks fought back to take an 8-7 lead three-plus minutes into the game. Kameron Johnson quickly put the Pack back on top with four straight points, then a 3 by Zachary Lee made the lead 14-10 at the 15-minute mark. Lee hit another 3 to make it a 10-point lead, 21-11, and Johnson was already in double figures at the 10-minute mark, 26-16.
Back-to-back-to-back 3s for Jackson pushed the advantage to 36-19, then Reece Seicshnaydre got on the board with a 3 as well, 41-19. That was all part of a 17-2 run that was capped off by a 3-pointer from Lee, 44-21, with three and a half minutes left until halftime. Seicshnaydre and Johnson both added another 3 to give Loyola 10 for the first half.
Needing six points in the second half to hit 1,000 career points, Jackson hit two 3s in the first few minutes to put Loyola up 30, 63-33. That was the last little bit of drama left in the game, as the Wolf Pack cruised to their 22nd win of the season.
The Wolf Pack went on an 11-2 run midway through the second half, as Kosta Bjelicic accounted for all 11 points, 76-43. The Wolf Pack led by 30, 84-54, near the six-minute mark, then the Firehawks went on a little run after the Wolf Pack starters were taken out. In the end, Loyola's lead was too much for UT Southern to overcome to even get close to the Wolf Pack.
The Wolf Pack men's basketball program honored six seniors: Brody Adams, Dominic Brown, Evan Savoy, Schuyler Pimentel, Jackson and Johnson.
Pack Facts
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Leonard Jackson needed 18 points to reach the 1,000-point mark for his career. He got exactly 18, hitting a game-high six 3-pointers.
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Jackson has made 78 triples this year, tied for the 10th most in a season by any player in Wolf Pack history.
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Kameron Johnson posted his third double-double of the year after recording 21 points and 11 assists. Johnson shot 9-of-12 from the field.
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Kosta Bjelicic pulled out an arsenal of post moves to pour in 17 points, shooting 7-of-9 from the field.
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Zachary Lee also had 17 points. He made all five of his attempts from the field, which included three 3s.
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As a team, Loyola shot 13-of-30 from the 3-point line. It was the team's fourth game making 13 or more 3s this season, and the team's shooting percentage (43.3) was the highest in any of those games.
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