The Loyola Wolf Pack came into Thursday night’s matchup seeking to avenge an earlier loss to the Gold Rush this season.

The Pack started the game with an early lead, scoring 20 points in the first 10 minutes of play. They led Xavier by eight early in the first half and limited their leading scorer, Morris Wright, to 1-of-3 shooting and four points. The Pack would be outscored by the Gold Rush 10 to nine, but held on to a 29-24 lead headed into the locker room.

The Pack increased the lead to nine in the first five minutes of the second half, capitalizing on some missed shots and turnovers by Xavier. The Gold Rush would cut into the lead once again in the final minutes, making it a 52-53 game. But they would be unable to take the lead, as junior guard Jalen Gray sank two of his nine free throws in the final minute of the contest. Freshman guard Tre’Von Jasmine would ultimately ice the game with two free throws in the final seconds, giving the Pack a 57-52 victory over their inner city rivals.

Gray led the Pack with 15 points, including 9-for-9 at the free throw line. Junior center Nate Pierre added 13 points and collected 11 rebounds in the victory.  For Stacy Hollowell, head coach, a commitment to the defensive end was key to the team’s victory.

“The guys did a really nice job of sticking to our game plan. We just made some changes defensively. We just wanted to make sure that we did a nice job on Morris Wright, and it really paid off for us,” Hollowell said.

The Xavier guard was limited to just 15 points on 4-for-10 shooting in Thursday night’s win for the Pack. One of the major contributions to the defensive effort was freshman guard Ethan Turner. With some significant injuries to the Pack, Hollowell was confident that Turner and others could step up to the challenge.

“What we’ve talked to guys about is that when you step in, you give your absolute best. I feel like I can stick him and Sam on any of the other team’s best defenders and they will do their absolute best,” Hollowell said.

Turner got his first start tonight due to a hand injury to sophomore guard Nick Parker. But even with his strong effort defensively, he didn’t look to take all the credit.

“Everyone behind me helped me out. It was a whole team effort. It wasn’t just me or Sam. It was all five guys on the floor,” Turner said.

The Pack will have a three-game home stand against a series of conference opponents starting on Dec. 18. In order to stay focused, guard Jalen Gray believes that it will all come down to execution and defense.

“I think it all comes back to defense. If we execute like we did tonight, I think people will have a tough time guarding us,” Gray said.

The Pack play their final exhibition game of the season on the road against Nicholls State University on Dec. 5.