Loyola’s men’s basketball team is looking to finish the season strong with a schedule full of opponents they know all too well.

The Wolf Pack have 12 games remaining before the season finale against Auburn Montgomery on Feb. 23. All but one of the games will be conference match-ups for the team.

Loyola men’s basketball head coach Michael Giorlando said that conference play leads to tighter games due to the teams knowing each other better. He also said that the team’s preparation becomes more detailed for Southern States Althletic Conference games.

“The teams are more familiar with each other. Scouting reports become more and more critical, and usually scores are a lot lower,” Girolando said.

Business junior and guard/forward Robert Lovaglio said that the competition steps up a level in conference play. With the teams seeing each other every year, conference games leave little room for surprises.

“When we get into the conference games every team is very familiar with our style of play. The games are a lot more intense, and you have to stay focused to run the plays that need to be ran, and make the plays that need to be made,” he said.

 During last year’s 20-win season, Loyola went 11-7 in SSAC games. So far the team is 4-3 in conference play this year. William Carey University leads the SSAC West division with a 7-0 conference record.

Since coming back from winter break, the Pack are 1-., However, Lovaglio said that losses are a wake-up call that help the team stay alert.

“We’re definitely going to come out with a lot more energy after losing, because we understand that any game you don’t come out 100 percent could come out for a loss,” Lovaglio said.

After a 67-48 loss to William Carey that included 9-29 shooting

from the free throw line, Giorlando 

stressed the importance of moving onto the next game against the University of Mobile.

“We’ll look at Mobile’s tape, and we’ll go through their scouting report, and we’ll probably shoot some free throws,” Giorlando said.