NEW ORLEANS – It came down to the last regular-season game of the season, but the No. 14 Loyola Wolf Pack claimed the Southern States Athletic Conference Regular-Season title for the second straight year on Saturday with an 83-76 win over Life University.
The win in The Den on Senior Day makes the Pack 21-6 overall and they ended the regular season with a 16-4 mark in SSAC play.
Loyola will be the No. 1 seed in next week’s SSAC Championship, and it’ll play the winner of No. 8 Middle Georgia and No. 9 Talladega on Thursday at 2:15 p.m.
Beginning the first half, Loyola started seniors Eddie Burgess, Luke Ladner, Andrew Stagni, Zach Muller, and Josh Tolbert in celebration of Senior Day. Burgess put up the Pack’s first points from a free throw. A jumper from Burgess put Loyola in the lead and two Tolbert free throws made it 5-2 with 17:09 on the clock. Like their matchup against Dalton State, the Pack struggled with turnovers, getting 14 in the second half.
With 5:47 remaining in the first half, Life took a 12-point lead, 31-19. In the remaining minutes of the half, Loyola clawed back into the contest, as a Mondesir steal and score made the score 33-26, Life. A Tolbert jumper, two free throws from Jalen Galloway, and a Zach Muller score off a pass from Michael Harden ended the half at a five-point deficit, 37-32.
The first score for the Pack in the second half was a 3-pointer from Milan Mejia, now 35-37. Another Mejia 3-pointer, assisted by Matthew Mondesir, gave Loyola the lead they needed with 17:54 to go. It was a constant battle in the second half with Life looking to take the lead back, but the Wolf Pack never relented. An 8-0 run, created by a Galloway 3, a Leonard Jackson jumper, and a Michael Harden 3, put Loyola ahead, 59-50, with over 11 minutes left.
The Wolf Pack kept extending their lead, gaining an 11-point lead from two Harden free throws with two minutes left, 81-70. Loyola shut down any chance for Life to come back into the contest and claimed victory over the Running Eagles, 83-76.
With only 32 points in the first half, the Pack’s offense let loose in the second half, scoring 51 points. In the second half, Loyola shot at a higher clip from the perimeter than from the field, hitting seven 3.
Pack Facts
- This was Loyola’s second consecutive SSAC regular season title.
- On senior night, six seniors scored, and 11 different players scored for the Pack.
- Jalen Galloway and Michael Harden led the way in scoring for Loyola with 16 points apiece.
- Harden also dished out a game-high five assists.
- Zach Muller was third on the team with 14 points. He’s scored in double figures twice this season.
- Milan Mejia, who nabbed a game-high three steals, also scored in double figures with 13.
- Mejia was 4-of-6 from the field, all three-pointers. He made as many threes as the entirety of Life’s team, which was 4-of-10.
- Matthew Mondesir led the team in rebounds (5) and blocks (3). His three blocks were a new season high for a Wolf Pack player.
{Courtesy: Loyola Athletics}