Privateers Get Stunner at SFA

New Orleans broke Stephen F. Austin's 13-game winning streak, pulling a 77-73 upset in Nacogdoches on Monday night.

Led by Coleton Benson's 30-point night as well as M.J. Thomas' gutty 18-point, 10-rebound effort, UNO (14-15, 12-8) clinched a winning record in the Southland and bolstered their chances of securing a single bye in the SLC Tournament.

The Privateers jumped out to a 14-4 lead and maintained their edge throughout the first half, leading 31-23 at the break. Like they did in their five-point win at Lakefront Arena earlier this season, SFA came out of the locker room strong, surging ahead briefly before New Orleans' poise helped them regain the lead, which grew as large as 58-45 before a late Lumberjacks surge.

At 69-67, the Privateers missed two shots, but Panagiotis Pagonis rebounded both of them to keep the possession alive, then converted two free throws to extend the lead and help secure the win.

T.J. Cope added 11 points for New Orleans, and Jay Buckley struggled with his shot but contributed 11 assists.

UNO will return home with confidence to face McNeese on Saturday.

UNO Beats Corpus Christi in Slugfest

In a brutally physical contest that saw 66 fouls and 93 combined free throws, the Privateers outlasted Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 84-78 in overtime.

New Orleans (11-14, 9-7), which led 35-30 at the break, did not match the Islanders' increased intensity coming out of the halftime locker room. TAMU-CC's 18-3 run turned that five-point deficit into a 48-38 lead, and the Privateers spent the rest of the night trying to catch up, finally succeeding near the end of regulation on a Jay Buckley fast break layup.

In overtime, Coleton Benson drained a three to put UNO up, and they never relinquished that lead, hanging on with a flurry of free throws to secure the win.

The Privateers survived 22 turnovers, though they forced 19, many of them during their late surge to take control of the game in the nick of time. Buckley led the way with 22 points, while Benson added 18 and T.J. Cope 16.

New Orleans will hit the road for four straight beginning on Saturday at Houston Christian.

UTRGV Blitzes UNO

Seeking revenge for a 16-point loss to the Privateers in Texas on December 29, UT-Rio Grande Valley mauled New Orleans at Lakefront Arena on Saturday, 95-76.

The Vaqueros made 13 three-pointers and outrebounded the Bucs by a whopping 42-27 en route to an easy victory in a key matchup between contenders for the Southland tournament single bye. They dominated from start to finish and were never seriously threatened, dropping UNO to 8-7 in the conference and 10-14 overall.

The Privateer attack, such as it was, was led by Jay Buckley with 25 points. Coleton Benson and T.J. Cope added 11 each.

New Orleans will stay home and host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Monday night before embarking on a four-game road trip.

Privateers Win Bruiser Over NWST

The Privateers bested the Demons of Northwestern State on Saturday night at Lakefront Arena, 75-64.

The Demons, who had played six consecutive games decided by two points or less, got UNO involved in another physical, close contest. With New Orleans up 33-30 at the half, Northwestern State immediately launched an 8-0 run to start the second frame, answered by an 18-2 UNO run. The game tightened, however.

With UNO up 63-60 late, Chris Mubiru missed a three, and the Privateers got a break going the other way that resulted in a Coleton Benson three-point play for a critical six-point swing. From there, UNO was able to salt the game away.

Jay Buckley paced UNO with 18 points and 6 assists, as well as 7 rebounds. Kedrick Osby was a huge factor in the second half, his three triples a part of a 13-point overall effort. Benson also added 13, and Churchill Abass had 10 points and 7 boards.

UNO hits the road on Monday night for a game at East Texas A&M.

Privateers Win at Stopher Gym

It hasn't generally been a friendly venue, but New Orleans dominated at Nicholls on Tuesday afternoon, 80-62.

The Privateers (8-13, 6-6) trailed very early but took control midway through the first half and never trailed again. Buoyed by multiple threes from Kedrick Osby, who had 11 points in the first half, UNO opened a 39-29 lead at the break. In the second half, New Orleans outmuscled the Colonels and didn't allow them back into the game.

Again, the Privateer frontcourt was dominant, with Churchill Abass posting 20 points and 8 boards and M.J. Thomas adding 16 and 7. UNO absolutely dominated the glass as a team, with 48 rebounds to Nicholls' 28.

New Orleans will host Northwestern State on Saturday as they return home from this two-game trip.