NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola Wolf Pack men’s basketball team just doesn’t lose at home, and that proved to be true once again on Saturday.

The No. 22 Wolf Pack defeated Stillman College 93-81 in The Den for the program’s 23rd straight win at home, improving their overall record to 15-2 and Southern States Athletic Conference mark to 10-0

The win also marked the 27th straight win over an SSAC foe, which dates back to nearly one year ago on Jan. 17, 2022. 

Five different Wolf Pack players scored before the first under-12-minute media timeout with the game tied 13-all. Milan Mejia hit the first of six 3-pointers in the first half to make it 5-2, then Alex Hammond and Zach Muller kept Loyola ahead 9-6. Mejia became the first Loyola player to score twice, 11-9, as the two teams traded baskets until the timeout took place. 
 

Mejia started a string of four 3-pointers for the Pack over the next four minutes to give them the 27-19 lead with six minutes left in the first half. Mejia hit two of those 3s while Michael Harden matched his teammate with two of his own. Harden scored four more points after that, 33-25, two free throws by Joshua Tolbert put Loyola up 10, 35-25 with three-plus minutes left in the half. 

Loyola ended the first half on an impressive note, scoring the final eight points with Bradley Alcime preventing a Stillman shot as time expired. Alcime hit a free throw to start the run, then after Galloway scored, Harden sunk the final 3-pointer of the half before Muller recorded a steal and dunk to highlight the stretch. Loyola led 45-31 at the break. 
 

Scores by Galloway and Muller helped stall an early onslaught of 3s by the Tigers, keeping Loyola ahead 51-40 in the first four-plus minutes of the second half. Harden then made three free throws with another 3-pointer by Mejia, 57-42, and Hammond and Harden kept the Pack ahead by double figures, 61-48, before the Tigers could get a little run. They would go on to score eight of the next 11 points to cut Loyola’s lead down to 66-61 with eight minutes left to play. 

Muller got hot after that, scoring seven points in a three-and-a-half-minute span to extend the lead to 76-66. The exclamation point of Loyola’s 10-5 run was a driving dunk by Muller, as the Pack controlled the game with 4:24 left on the clock. Loyola went 15-for-16 at the free throw down the stretch to prevent any comeback efforts from Stillman.

Pack Facts

• Loyola has won 23 games in a row at home and 27 straight games against SSAC competition. 
• Michael Harden went off for a career-high 35 points, the second-highest scoring total for any Wolf Pack player this year. 
• Harden went 6-of-9 from the field, 4-of-5 from three-point range, and 19-of-20 at the free throw line. 
• Four players scored in double figures on Saturday, including Harden. 
• Milan Mejia, who also hit four three-pointers, was second on the team with 19 points. 
• Mejia also had set a new career high with six steals.
• Overall, the Wolf Pack combined for 12 steals. It’s the eighth game this season with 12 team steals for the Pack. 
• Zach Muller scored 18 points. It was his most points ina game since Nov. 8, 2019, when he scored a career-high 23 against Southeastern Baptist College. He also grabbed seven rebounds against Stillman, which was his most since January 2021. 
• Bradley Alcime also grabbed seven rebounds, a new season best. 
• Jalen Galloway followed up his 25-20 game with 12 points, six rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block. 

{Courtesy: Loyola Athletics}