Box Score
New Orleans, LA-After taking a 19 point lead with 13:40 to play in the game, the Belhaven men's basketball survived a late run by Loyola University in route to a 63-57 victory over the third seeded Wolfpack in Thursday night's Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals. The win improves the Blazers record to 18-12 as they move on to face LSU-Shreveport in the GCAC semifinals Saturday night. Loyola ends the season with a 19-11 record.

 

The Wolfpack opened the first half of play by going on a 9-0 run in the first two minutes of the game to take the early lead. The Blazers got their first basket of the night on a field goal by Chase Hudson with 17:36 to go in the opening period. That was the beginning of a 12-3 run which enabled Belhaven to come back and tie the score at 12-12 with 13:38 left on the first half clock. Hudson drained a three pointer off an assist from Krayleon Winston to pull the Blazers even with the Wolfpack.

 

Belhaven jumped ahead for the first time with just under 12 minutes to go in the half on a Detrick Johnson bucket to make the score 14-12 in favor if the Blazers. That basket kick started an 8-0 run that extended Belhaven's advantage to 20-12 at the 8:13 mark of the first half. The Blazers largest lead of the opening period was 15 points at 34-19 after Hunter Jeffery dialed up a three pointer with 2:22 to play until halftime. Loyola then took some of the momentum back heading into the locker room by closing out the half on a 6-0 run trimming Belhaven's lead to 34-25 at the break.

 

The Blazers regrouped and exploded out of the gate in the second half with a 10-0 scoring run and just like that the lead went back 19 points at 44-25 with 15:55 left in the contest. Over the next couple of minutes Belhaven maintained their 19 point margin holding a 50-31 lead over the Wolfpack with 13:40 on the second half clock. Loyola then proceeded to orchestrate a 14-2 swing and sliced the Blazer lead to seven points at 52-45 with just under six minutes to go in the second half.

 

Things became real interesting in the final minute of play as the Blazer lead was suddenly down to five points at 57-52 with just 49 seconds on the clock thanks to a trey by Loyola's Torry Beaulieu. The Wolfpack then managed to make it a once possession game with 25 seconds to go on a basket by Matt McCabe. At that point the scoreboard read 60-57 with Belhaven on top. Fortunately, the Blazers were able to make three big free throws and forced a key turnover to put the game away and secure the 63-57 victory.

 

Iman Walcott had another outstanding game for Belhaven with a team high 21 points and a game high 12 rebounds to post the double double. Korey Whiting also recorded another double double by firing in 13 points and pulling down 10 boards. Hunter Jeffery was the third Blazer to reach double digits in scoring by adding 10 points on a trio of three pointers and a free throw.

 

As a team, Belhaven hit 35.8 percent of their field goals and connected on 31.3 percent of their shots behind the three point line. The Blazers converted some key free throws in the second half going 15 for 22 from the charity stripe in the final 20 minutes of the game. The Blazers dominated the boards by outrebounding Loyola 56-33 which helped offset 25 turnovers by the Belhaven offense.

 

The defense was effective in holding the Wolfpack to a mere 31.7 percent shooting from the field and a 28.6 shooting percentage from three point land. Loyola's Ryan Brock was the game's leading scorer with 26 points. Torry Beaulieu added 21 points for the Wolfpack.