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.

UNO Flexes Muscle, Beats Lamar

Monday night was a battle of frontcourts at Lakefront Arena, and New Orleans prevailed 89-76 over Lamar.

While Lamar big man Braden East led all scorers with 26 points to go along with 11 rebounds, UNO's frontcourt duo of M.J. Thomas and Churchill Abass carried the day. Thomas led the Privateers (7-12, 5-5) with 20 points and 9 rebounds, while Abass added 20 points and 7 boards of his own. Jay Buckley also chipped in 13 points and 8 assists.

The Privateers used a 15-0 first half run to turn an early 28-22 deficit into a 37-28 lead. They led by five at the half, and while the Cardinals tied it early in the second frame, they were never able to regain the lead, as UNO protected its cushion and held Lamar to 40% shooting from the field.

New Orleans will hit the road again this weekend for a road battle with McNeese in Lake Charles.

SFA Overcomes Early Deficit, Beats UNO

The Privateers started strong but faded in the second half, falling to first-place Stephen F. Austin 84-79 at Lakefront Arena on Saturday.

New Orleans (6-12, 4-5), buoyed by the return of Jay Buckley after a one-game absence, bolted to an early 30-20 lead. However, the Lumberjacks regained their footing, and the UNO defense struggled as SFA posted 21 points in the last six-and-a-half minutes of the first half to tie it at 41 at the break. The Jacks began the second frame with an 11-4 run and, while the Bucs hung around and rallied to within two late in the game, they never regained the lead.

Buckley led UNO with 24 points, and Churchill Abass had 13 points and 9 rebounds. Coleton Benson had 17, including several late threes, and Kedrick Osby added 11.

The Privateers will stay home on Monday for a battle with Lamar.

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.