NEW ORLEANS (Interstat) — The Loyola (La.) Wolf Pack used a dominant rebounding performance and an efficient offensive outing to defeat the Dillard Bleu Devils 75-56 in a men’s NAIA basketball game on Tuesday night.

The Wolf Pack improved their season record to 7-2, while the Bleu Devils fell to 4-3. The game served as a reversal of the teams’ prior meeting on Oct. 28, which Dillard won by a 69-54 margin.

Loyola seized control of the contest with a powerful second-quarter surge. After a tightly contested first quarter that saw the Wolf Pack lead 32-29, they outscored the Bleu Devils 43-27 in the second period to pull away decisively. The Wolf Pack’s offensive execution was markedly superior, as they scored 75 points from 75 possessions for an offensive rating of 100.1. Dillard, by contrast, managed just 56 points from the same number of possessions, resulting in a far less efficient offensive rating of 74.3.

The story of the game was written on the glass, where Loyola established a commanding presence. The Wolf Pack hauled in 58 total rebounds, more than doubling Dillard’s total of 28. Their work on the offensive boards was particularly devastating, as they grabbed 23 offensive rebounds, leading to numerous second-chance opportunities that stifled any potential Bleu Devils comeback.

Kameron Johnson led all scorers for Loyola, pouring in 24 points while adding 8 rebounds and 5 assists in 35 minutes of action. His backcourt mate, Eain Mowat, contributed 7 rebounds and 3 assists. The interior was controlled by Zachary Lee, who pulled down a game-high 18 rebounds to go with his 8 points and 4 assists. Jaylen Peters and Georgios Vassilakis provided valuable support off the bench, with Peters scoring 7 points and grabbing 9 rebounds, and Vassilakis adding 8 points.

For Dillard, John Kelly III posted a strong line of 11 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. Christian Pichon Jr. matched Kelly’s scoring output with 11 points, and Gavin Harris came off the bench to chip in 9 points. However, the team struggled mightily with its shooting, connecting on only 19 of 54 attempts from the floor for a 35.2 percent clip. Their shooting from beyond the arc was especially cold, as they made just 3 of 17 three-point attempts.

The game began with both teams trading early baskets and turnovers. After Dillard’s Devin Lewis opened the scoring with a jump shot, Loyola’s Eain Mowat answered with a three-pointer. The Wolf Pack then embarked on a 9-0 run, capped by a Kameron Johnson three-pointer that forced an early Dillard timeout. The Bleu Devils managed to keep pace for the remainder of the quarter, but Loyola’s rebounding advantage began to show, helping them maintain a narrow lead.

The second quarter, however, was all Loyola. They steadily expanded their lead through a combination of efficient scoring and relentless rebounding. A three-pointer from Leonard Jackson with just over nine minutes remaining in the half pushed the lead to 59-46, and the Wolf Pack never looked back, cruising to the 19-point victory.

The win was in line with pregame projections from Interstat’s ELO system, which gave Loyola a 77.50 percent probability to win.

Dillard will look to rebound on the road at Philander Smith on Dec. 4. Loyola also hits the road for its next contest, traveling to face Blue Mountain Christian on the same date.