The Loyola men’s basketball team sent shock waves through the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics when it defeated Faulkner, the third-ranked team in the country and the 2001 National Champions.
Jonathan Hernandez, English writing junior, who “saw a hole and went for it,” gave the Wolfpack what would be the game-winning lay-up with 4.1 seconds left.
The 62-61 win was the ‘Pack’s first of the season.
“We played really well. We got big shots when it counted. (Making big shots) is the thing we were failing at,” management senior Chad Barnes, who led the team with 18 points, said.
Zach Tyson, general business sophomore, scored 13 and got a game-leading six rebounds. Mike Senna, economics junior, blocked eight shots. Hernandez added seven points and seven assists.
Jerry Hernandez, head coach for Loyola, said that his son made good decisions on the court.
“He should be able to make plays like that. More often than not, he makes the right decisions,” he said.
Coach Hernandez was excited about the win.
“This is our biggest win since [we made] the national tournament in 1995. We played our best defense since I’ve been here,” he said.Coach Hernandez also mentioned the recognition that Loyola has received.
“I had two coaches from California who were in the national tournament last year call me to find out what we did,” he added.
The Eagles out-rebounded the ‘Pack and had a better field goal percentage, although the Wolfpack had much better three-point and free-throw percentages.
“They had a lot of second shots and long rebounds. [The statistics were] a little bit deceiving,” coach Hernandez said.
Loyola experienced a different set of problems with Pensacola Christian on Saturday.
The ‘Pack’s only lead of the first half was 3-2. The Eagles then went on a 20-4 run. Loyola scored the last seven points of the half for a half-time score of 42-38.
“I couldn’t believe how poorly we were defending,” coach Hernandez said.
In the first half, Pensacola shot 54 percent from the field compared to Loyola’s 39 percent.
The Eagles promptly went back up 11 at the start of the first half, but the Wolfpack scored the next six points.
The Eagles had another 11-point lead, 64-53, with 7:30 left, but then they went on a five-minute scoring drought.
James Bunn, general business freshman, and Jonathan Hernandez took advantage.
Bunn scored five straight points to close the gap to 64-62.
Hernandez tied the score at 64, then made two free throws to tie the game at 66 after Pensacola made two of four from the line.
Barnes then gave the ‘Pack a two-point lead, its first lead of the second half, followed by another lay-up from Bunn.
Pensacola got a three-pointer as time expired to lose, 70-69.
The Eagles were held to 32 percent shooting for the second half.
Loyola only made nine percent of its three-point shots, but they made up for that by only giving up five offensive rebounds, out-rebounding Pensacola overall, 41-30.
“We’ve always been better in the second half. That got us into trouble Saturday night,” coach Hernandez said. “We had to depend on them missing free throws, but we were able to do some nice things too.”
Barnes led all scorers with 22 and was perfect in his eight free-throw attempts. He also had the most rebounds in the game with seven.
Bunn added 13 points and five rebounds.
Brandon Powell, general studies freshman, went seven of 11 from the field for 14 points. Senna hit the glass to grab six rebounds.
The ‘Pack will continue its season against Tulane University across Freret at Fogelman Arena at 7 p.m. on Monday.
