It was an excellent basketball game to kick off the 2017 NCAA Tournament, but the result was disappointment for the New Orleans Privateers, who fell 67-66 to Mount St. Mary's.
The conventional wisdom was that UNO needed to control the glass and limit turnovers in order to gain a victory in its First Four game against the Mountaineers. The Privateers won the boards 31-22, committed fewer turnovers, and had more steals than its Northeast Conference opponent, and yet a blistering 10-for-19 three-point shooting night from MSMU was just barely enough to sneak them past New Orleans. Comparatively, UNO was 1-for-9 from beyond the arc.
Erik Thomas, the Southland Player of the Year, carried UNO through a rough first half, keeping them within striking distance by scoring 12 of their 29 points. However, he was scoreless in the second half, as Nate Frye kept New Orleans close down the stretch. He led the Privateers for the night with 18 points.
UNO concludes its memorable season with a 20-12 record, as Mount St. Mary's moves on to challenge defending national champion Villanova on Thursday night.