Saturday night’s match-up against Tougaloo in the Den chalked up one victory for the Lady Wolfpack and a disappointing loss for the men.
The women gave Tougaloo an 87-51 stomping, striking early, as they often have this season, with a 25-6 run. A 3-pointer from general studies sophomore Kielly Schork capped a strong half for the offense and gave Loyola a 38-18 lead going into halftime.
The ‘Pack also dominated in the second period, finishing strong with a 14-2 scoring run with 10 minutes remaining that gave the ‘Pack a 69-38 lead.
English sophomore Katie Hernandez said the team was able to “keep the momentum, instead of just fazing out.”
The Wolfpack had three players with double digit scoring, led by finance sophomore Marjorie Bilinski’s game-high 19 points. Criminal justice junior Dani Holland snagged a game-high eight rebounds and had five steals, single-handedly equaling Tougaloo’s team total. Joelle Bordelon, sociology senior, had eight assists to match her average, which leads the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.
The entire team saw playing time in Saturday night’s contest.
The win brings the Wolfpack women’s conference record to 4-5 and regular season record to 13-10.
A spirited performance by the men’s team ended in disappointment in the final seconds with a final score of 61-60.
The game began at a sluggish pace, with neither team able to pull away. In the second half, a 3-pointer from management senior Zack Tyson with 14 minutes left put the ‘Pack on top 40-30. Tougaloo would not go quietly, relying on its effective transition offense for points. It proved difficult to stop and left Loyola down 57-50 with less than five minutes to play.
The ‘Pack caught fire and tied the game on two free throws by Tyson.
On Tougaloo’s next possession, center William Dukes scored on a layup. The ‘Pack attempted a last-second tip in, but the ball ricocheted off the backboard.
“It was definitely a letdown,” said management junior James Bunn. “We thought we had it.”
Coach Michael Giorlando echoed the sentiment but applauded his team’s performance.
“I was impressed by the way our guys fought through adversity,” Giorlando said.
Tougaloo forward Derrick Jarvis proved to be difficult to stop, especially as the game progressed. Jarvis was instrumental in keeping Tougaloo in the game, shooting five for five during the second half.
Dukes contributed eight points, seven rebounds and a blocked shot. Forward Donta Yates scored a team-high 16 points and had seven rebounds.
Despite a losing effort, the ‘Pack had a strong day statistically. Turnovers, a problem all year long, were limited and point production was spread around the starting five.
Tyson scored a game-high 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds, both above his season average.
Starting his first game since returning from filming a movie last semester, marketing junior James Olivard had 16 points and seven boards.
The Wolfpack converted over 80 percent of its free throws and had three players with perfect performances from the line.
The loss dropped the Wolfpack men’s record to 8-13, with a 1-8 conference record.
Both teams played SUNO yesterday in the Den. Tomorrow conference rival Spring Hill visits the Den. The women are scheduled for 5 p.m. and the men for 7 p.m.
Chris Liuzza can be reached at [email protected].
