NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Brewton-Parker Christian University Barons men's basketball team was unable to overcome the Wolf Pack of Loyola University (La.) on the road despite a balanced scoring effort. Loyola used a decisive second-half surge, fueled by perimeter shooting and playmaking from its backcourt, to pull away after halftime and hand the Barons a 73-88 loss.
The Barons opened sharply on both ends of the floor, racing out to a 5-0 lead less than a minute into the contest behind an early layup and free throw from Jayden Hill. The Barons continued to dictate the tempo through the first several minutes, building a 14-9 advantage before Loyola's offense settled in. Loyola responded with a steady run to take control late in the half, edging in front 42-37 at the break despite a late free throw from Gil Gonzalez that trimmed the margin to five.
The turning point came early in the second half, when Loyola began knocking down perimeter shots and converting in transition. A 3-pointer from Reece Seicshnaydre at the 17:33 mark pushed the lead to 51-41 and gave Loyola its first double-digit cushion. From there, the Barons were forced to play from behind as Loyola continued to spread the floor and share the ball.
Brewton-Parker stayed within striking distance for much of the half, but another Loyola 3-pointer from Leonard Jackson with 6:45 remaining stretched the deficit to 72-56 and effectively put the game out of reach. The Barons continued to compete to the final minute, getting a late tip-in from Jadon Melvin to make it 88-73 in the closing seconds, but Loyola's earlier second-half run and late free throws held the margin steady.
Head Coach Leonard Epps shared his thoughts following the game. "Dropped another tough game on the road. This four-game swing has been long and tough, looking forward to getting back home."
The Barons will look to regroup after the tough, rough trip when they host the Firehawks of the University of Tennessee Southern on January 29, 2026. Despite the loss, the Barons still hold a 14-6 record and a 6-4 conference record and have the chance to course-correct as they prepare for the final stretch of the season.
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