HENDERSON, Tenn. – The Loyola Wolf Pack men's basketball team played tough until the final seconds in Friday's NAIA National Championship first round matchup with Bethel (Kan.), but the Pack fell 74-71 to the Threshers to bring an end to the 2025-26 season.
Loyola earned an at-large berth into the national tournament field, finishing Trey Lindsey's first year as head coach with a 22-8 overall record. The season marked the second-most wins by a first-year head coach in program history.
Two early free throws by Bethel put the Threshers on the scoreboard first, but the first Wolf Pack field goal attempt belonged to Leonard Jackson, who hit his team-high 79th three-pointer of the year to give Loyola its first lead at 3-2.
Neither team led by more than five points in a closely contested first half. The largest lead of the first 20 minutes came five minutes in as Bethel was in front 11-6, but a layup from Jaylen Peters and triple from Zachary Lee tied things up a minute later at 11-all. The teams continued to trade baskets, with Peters, Kosta Bjelicic, and Kameron Johnson each contributing at least four points over the next 10 minutes, but Bethel was ahead for most of the opening 20.
After the early 3-2 Wolf Pack start, Loyola did not lead again until 1:40 left until halftime, as a layup from Peters, Johnson's second trey, and free throws from Lee capped a 7-0 run to send Loyola into the break up 36-33.
Bethel grabbed the lead back early in the second half with an 11-3 run over the first five minutes, the three coming from Reece Seicshnaydre's first make from long range in the game. A fastbreak dunk from Peters gave Loyola the lead with less than 10 minutes to go, 49-48, but Bethel never trailed afterwards, eventually stretching their lead to as many as six points at 71-65 with a little over two minutes left.
Loyola did not go away quietly, however, as Lee and Johnson each added a free throw to two strong finishes from Peters in the paint as part of a 6-0 scoring run. Lee's free throw tied the game at 71-71 with less than 10 seconds to go, but a last-second three from Bethel ended the Wolf Pack run.
Pack Facts
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Kameron Johnson finished with 17 points, giving him 535 on the season. He ends the season in the top 20 in single-season scoring in the Wolf Pack record book at No. 16.
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Johnson is also now fourth in career assists at Loyola with 381.
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In a gritty performance off the bench, Jaylen Peters put up 16 points, seven rebounds, four blocks, and a steal.
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Zachary Lee posted 16 points, plus a team-high eight rebounds and three assists.
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Leonard Jackson posted career highs in three-pointers (79) and scoring at (12.7 PPG) in his final season with the Pack. His 79 threes this season rank as the 10th-most by a Wolf Pack men's player in a single season in program history.
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In his first year as head coach, Trey Lindsey's Wolf Pack finished with a 22-8 overall record. It's the second-most wins in a coach's first season in program history.
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