Another second half explosion surrendered, another loss for coach Michael Giorlando and Loyola’s Wolfpack (3-13, 0-6 GCAC) – this time, 74-62 to Tougaloo College.
While Tougaloo’s Darius Simmons (game-high 27 points), Jermaine Hodges (17 points) and Keithdrick Harris (17 points) hit Loyola’s defensive schemes with both barrels, Loyola countered with 14-point (psychology junior Luke Zumo) and 13-point (history sophomore Torry Beaulieu and finance junior Mario Faranda) outputs from their top gunners.
Balanced scoring has eluded the Wolfpack all season, this time their next best scorer managing only six points (marketing freshman McArthur Strickland). Starter James Bunn, who Giorlando said “has been playing excellent basketball (especially defensively)” for him this season, struggled his way for three points via a one-for-six shooting performance.
Five of his attempts were from behind-the-arc.
“It’s going to take us four or five guys to get into double-digits, to make shots and find ways to get on the line,” Giorlando said. “We shot well from free-throws tonight. I just would have liked to get about 10 more attempts.”
Beaulieu added, “Luke, Mario and I played well. All we can do is hope that someone else steps up and gives us some points. We understand Mario and Luke are just one person. They can’t come out and give us 30 points every night.”
Loyola managed 21 attempts from the line and converted 81 percent of them, with Beaulieu, Zumo and general business freshman Sean Bennett all shooting four-for-four from the attempts.
But, by contrast, they took 22 trips to the line in the first half alone the game before, a loss to cross-town foe Dillard University. With more trips and given the relatively high success rate they were having, the Wolfpack would have been operating against a more manageable deficit late in the game.
Tougaloo sped off to a 14-4 lead to start the game, until baskets from general business freshman Nick Tuszynski, Bennett, Faranda and Strickland positioned Loyola against a 29-16 deficit.
Thanks to a 13-2 maroon and gold run, topped off by a 10-foot pull-up jumper authored by Zumo, Loyola knotted the game up at 29 late in the first half.
After Tougaloo buried a three on the next advance and marketing freshman Matt McCabe missed a backdoor layup under the basket just as the half expired, Loyola headed into the locker rooms down by a measly 32-29 scoreline.
After a Bunn defensive rebound, the Wolfpack advanced up the court and general business junior Bear Wurts connected on a jump shot that secured Loyola’s first lead in the game at 36-34.
Zumo, after cutting down his defender with circus-like ball-handling, hit another jumper later on in the half for another lead at 40-39.
From there, Tougaloo exploded to an insurmountable 60-46 lead thanks to Simmons’ three-pointers and speedy baskets scored in transition off Loyola misses.
Next up for Giorlando are the Belhaven Blazers at The Den. Tip-off is for 7:30 p.m.
Guard Torry Beaulieu, history sophomore, rounds a Tougaloo defender on the dribble at The Den on Saturday night. Beaulieu amassed 13 points but realizes his team will need more scorers if they are to win consistently. (Rosamar Torres)
