Nicholls Rains Threes on UNO

In a contest of hot-shooting teams, the visiting Colonels were sharper, defeating UNO 90-77 at Lakefront Arena on Saturday.

First-place Nicholls, which improved to 7-0 in the Southland, used exceptionally pinpoint shooting from deep to pull away from the Privateers (5-11, 3-4), draining 17-of-37 threes for the game. They bested a decent New Orleans offensive attack that wasn't inept but could not keep up with the Colonel barrage.

Coleton Benson, for his part, tried to keep pace with Nicholls, leading UNO with 26 points and four threes of his own. T.J. Cope and M.J. Thomas also got into double digits with 12 points each. The Privateers actually easily won the rebound battle but also committed 15 turnovers to Nicholls' 7.

The Privateers hit the road but stay close to home on Monday, traveling to Southeastern Louisiana.

Privateers Beat E-TAMU on Lakefront

The Privateers returned home and scored an 83-73 victory over East Texas A&M on Monday night.

New Orleans (5-10, 3-3), which went almost two years between victories at home, now has two in a row at Lakefront Arena. They established control early and, while they never quite pulled away, they were never really threatened until late, when a 12-0 Lions run cut a comfortable 69-54 lead down to three. It was a familiar scenario for a UNO team that has had trouble holding leads.

The Privateers, however, answered with a Jay Buckley jumper and an M.J. Thomas putback on its next two possessions to calm nerves and secure the win.

M.J. Thomas had 12 points, but the bigger story is his whopping 19 rebounds, which powered a decisive 16-rebound team edge for UNO. Coleton Benson used a 10-for-11 free throw barrage to lead the extremely balanced UNO attack with 17 points despite struggling from the field, and Enzo Boudouma added 11. Churchill Abass had 10. Buckley didn't start but came off the bench to dish 9 assists.

UNO stays at home on Saturday, when they will take on a Nicholls team that is currently 6-0 and in first place in the Southland Conference.

Privateers Fall at A&M-CC

After winning on Monday, the Privateers fell in the second game of this three-game conference road trip, dropping an 83-69 decision to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Wednesday.

Jay Buckley and Coleton Benson led UNO in scoring with 15 apiece, but the Privateers (4-9, 2-2) nearly doubled up the host Islanders in turnovers (16 to 9) and were beaten 48-36 on the glass. UNO surrendered 24 offensive rebounds to Corpus.

New Orleans will visit Northwestern State on Saturday before returning home on Monday.

UNO Snags Road Win in Edinburg

The Privateers staved off a UTRGV second-half rally and secured an 85-69 win over the Vaqueros.

New Orleans (4-8, 2-1) led 35-24 at the half and extended that lead to 16 before the host team began chipping away at the lead. It got as close as four points at 63-59 before UNO scored five quick points to reestablish themselves.

Jay Buckley was UNO's standout on this evening, posting 32 points along with 5 rebounds and 4 assists and just one turnover. He made 3-of-5 from deep range and had an answer for most UTRGV surges throughout the night. Coleton Benson was the only other Privateer in double digits with 12 points, though M.J. Thomas had 10 rebounds to go with 8 points.

UNO continues its three-game conference road trip this week with a New Year's Eve tilt at Corpus Christi on Wednesday afternoon.

AT LAST! Privateers Win at Home

It had been nearly two calendar years since the New Orleans Privateers won a game at Lakefront Arena, but that streak ended dramatically on Monday night with an 84-83 thriller over Incarnate Word.

The Privateers (3-7, 1-1) jumped out the gate to a 9-0 lead playing much more aggressive defense than they had of late. New Orleans maintained a steady lead throughout the half and led 38-26 at the break.

They extended that lead to 54-39 before UIW began its comeback. Shooting 12-for-27 on threes and led by the talented Davion Bailey, UIW rallied furiously as UNO struggled to get stops. They flashed ahead briefly at 78-76 before Coleton Benson, who had been held scoreless to that point, drilled a three while getting fouled, completing the four-point play and giving UNO back the lead.

At 84-83, Bailey, who had a game-high 28 points, drove the lane and flipped up a shot that bounced off the rim and was tipped away as the buzzer sounded.

UNO was led by high-flying T.J. Cope with 19 points. Jay Buckley contributed 18 points, including several critical scores down the stretch, and 7 assists. M.J. Thomas did a little of everything, posting 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Panagiotis Pagonis added 14 on 5-of-6 shooting.

New Orleans will step back out of conference for the last time this coming Saturday when they take on the national runner-up Houston Cougars before a lengthy holiday break.