UNO Embarrassed at Baylor

Playing its second straight noncompetitive game, the Privateers (5-6) picked up where they left off at Pitt, showing up in physical form only in a 84-44 loss at Baylor.

Bryson Robinson led UNO in scoring with 11 points, though he shot just 3-for-14 from the field.  UNO shot an anemic 26% as a team.

New Orleans will open conference play on Wednesday night at Abilene Christian.

Privateers Get Paid at Pitt

The outmanned Privateers opened the scoring with a Lamont Berzat-to-Damion Rosser alleyoop, but never led again in a 99-57 battering at Pitt.

The ACC's Panthers had their way with New Orleans most of the night, as UNO endured its second-to-last money game before the beginning of conference play.

Bryson Robinson led the Privateers with 11 points, and Gerrale Gates and Rosser added 10 each.

New Orleans' final nonconference game will come after a Christmas break, on December 29 at Baylor.

UNO Beats WB on WB

Freshman Gerrale Gates

New Orleans used spurts at the beginning and end of the first half to establish a comfortable 48-26 lead, then overcame some sluggish stretches to defeat overmatched Williams Baptist 90-62 at the Alario Center on the West Bank.

Freshman Gerrale Gates turned in a fine effort, leading the Privateers (5-4) with 17 points. Jorge Rosa added 14 points and four three pointers, though UNO shot just 7-for-25 as a team from deep.  They did, however, shoot 55% overall.

Troy Green hit double figures for the second consecutive game with 13, and Scott Plaisance notched 12.

This was UNO's final tuneup before its last two money games, followed by the beginning of conference play on January 2.  Next up is a trip to Pittsburgh on the ACC Network on Thursday evening.

Tulsa Steamrolls UNO Early, Holds On

G Troy Green

Tulsa's stifling defense did a number on the visiting Privateers (4-4) most of the night, though New Orleans kept fighting in a 70-60 loss.

UNO trailed 41-21 at the half and fell behind by as many as 28, but a 15-1 run got the road team marginally back in the game.  The Golden Hurricane, though, reestablished control and ultimately still won comfortably.

Privateer leading scorer Ezekiel Charles was held scoreless on the evening, missing all six of his shot attempts. Bryson Robinson tried to pick up some of that long distance slack, draining three three-pointers and finishing with 11 points. Sophomore guard Troy Green played his most aggressive game of the season, leading the team with 19.

UNO returns home, sort of, on December 18 with a game at the Alario Center against Williams Baptist.

Privateers Surge Past USA

Ezekiel Charles

Scoring their first win over a Sun Belt school since they left the league in 2010, the Privateers (4-3) roared back from six down at halftime to beat South Alabama, 71-60.

New Orleans had a sluggish first stanza but surged ahead early in the second. UNO got another balanced scoring attack but was again led by Ezekiel Charles with 18.  Scott Plaisance was huge inside for the Bucs with 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Damion Rosser added 11 and Jorge Rosa 10.  The home team shot 7-for-12 from beyond the arc, with Charles and Rosa leading the way with three each.

The Privateers get eight days off before resuming their schedule at Tulsa on Thursday, December 13 in a contest on ESPN3.

UNO/South Alabama highlights, 1990-91

The last time UNO and South Alabama played a nonconference game at Lakefront Arena, the year was 1990, and the Jaguars had guys named "Boobie" running around.

This was win #5 for New Orleans of a 17-game winning streak that culminated in a Top 25 ranking.

ULL Settles Down, Rallies to Victory

In a Wednesday night in-state rivalry at Lakefront Arena, the Privateers started fast, but UL Lafayette finished strong and won a 77-73 overtime decision.

Lamont Berzat drives
in the second half

The New Orleans defense rattled the Ragin' Cajuns early, creating a frenetic pace and turning over the visitors 14 times in the first half.  Through the first 16 minutes, UNO led 29-15, with 16 of those points coming off turnovers.  But ULL was able to gather themselves, scored the last 11 points of the half, and make it largely a halfcourt game the rest of the way, gradually wearing down the Privateers until they finally took the lead late in the contest.

The Cajuns only turned the ball over five times over the final 29 minutes of action, and New Orleans' offense struggled in halfcourt sets.  Gerrale Gates, though, tied it at 59 with a jumper with 13 seconds left to send the game to overtime.  Gates scored seven points in overtime to keep the Privateers in it, but the Cajuns were ultimately too much.

Gates, a freshman, led the way for UNO with a career-high 17, and Damion Rosser added 13.  New Orleans' best shooters, Bryson Robinson and Ezekiel Charles, combined to shoot 5-for-24 and 2-for-10 from deep.  As a team, the Bucs shot an anemic 35%.

The balanced Cajuns attack featured three players with 12 points and another two with 10.

After a week off, UNO will face another former Sun Belt rival when they take on South Alabama at Lakefront Arena next Wednesday.

UNO Overcomes Slow Start, Wins Blowout

Rosser drops in a layup
in the second half

After a sloppy beginning that saw unknown Governor's State holding an early 27-26 lead on the Privateers, the host team hit a run towards the end of the first half and never looked back, winning a 97-53 rout.

Damion Rosser had his first big game of the 2018-19 campaign with 18 points, though steady senior Ezekiel Charles led the way with 20.  Fellow senior Scott Plaisance had several early baskets to help UNO keep its footing early and finished with 14 points.

The Privateer defense was able to turn over GSU 27 times, 18 of which were steals, leading to a parade of fast break buckets.

New Orleans will stay home to take on in-state rival UL Lafayette on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

UAB Holds Off Privateers

Gates led UNO with
9 rebounds

A spirited Privateer rally in Birmingham fell short on Wednesday night, as UAB defeated New Orleans 75-68.

A feisty UNO squad jumped out to a solid start, leading 20-15 early.  They were holding steady at 28-28 before the homestanding Blazers scored the final nine points of the half to lead 37-28 at the break.  It didn't go much better for New Orleans out of the locker room, as UAB continued a layup fest to extend the lead to 18 before the Bucs began a comeback.

Led by Ezekiel Charles with 20 points, they cut the lead to as little as 60-57.  At 67-63, Troy Green had a one-and-one to potentially cut it to two, but missed.  The hosts were then able to reestablish tenuous control and hold UNO off, scoring their narrow victory.

Charles shot 8-for-12 from the field and 4-for-7 from beyond the arc.  Joining him in double figures for the Privateers (2-2) was Scott Plaisance with 12, including his first three of the year.  Gerrale Gates had 11 to go along with a team-high 9 rebounds.

UNO has a 10-day layoff before beginning a three-game homestand on Saturday, November 24 against a team that apparently exists called Governor's State.

UNO Knocks off Pensacola Christian

In a game that was a slog until a late hot streak, New Orleans (2-1) worked their way past Pensacola Christian College by an 87-59 score at Lakefront Arena on Monday night.

Bryson Robinson led an almost impossibly balanced UNO attack with 13 points as the Privateers survived sluggishness out of the gate that saw PCC lead by seven early.  The hosts were able to manage a 10-point halftime lead and were unable to truly break free until the final 10 minutes.  Ezekiel Charles added 12 points, and Charles' fellow senior Tyren Harrison added 11.  Two other Privateers had 9.

UNO has a quick turnaround and a much tougher test on Wednesday night as they travel to Birmingham to face UAB.

Northwestern Wears Down Privateers

Freshman F Gerrale Gates

What was a feisty UNO effort for much of the night turned into a rout by the end at Northwestern, as the Wildcats dominated the Privateers (1-1) down the stretch in an 82-52 win in their opener.

After quickly falling behind 8-0, New Orleans played the rest of the half even and had Northwestern flustered.  The Bucs trailed by just four in the second half and still trailed just 46-39 before the Big Ten hosts hit a rhythm, turned UNO over a few times, and went on an extended run to finish the game.

Freshman Gerrale Gates impressed again, reaching double digits with 10 to lead a mostly anemic Privateer offensive attack which saw Bryson Robinson and Ezekiel Charles combining for just nine points.  New Orleans shot 42% from the field and a miserable 10-for-22 from the foul line.

New Orleans returns home for its next contest, a Monday night tilt against Pensacola Christian at Lakefront Arena.

Privateers Cruise on Opening Night

Zeke Charles throws down an
alley-oop early in the second half

On opening night of the 2018-19 basketball season, the Privateers (1-0) jumped on Spring Hill early and never looked back, scoring an easy 95-66 victory at Lakefront Arena.

New Orleans had a balanced effort, getting solid contributions from returnees and newcomers alike.  Sharp shooting senior Ezekiel Charles and freshman Amari Haynes each led the scoring with 17 apiece.  Charles drained three from long distance, and Bryson Robinson added four threes as well.  6'6" 235-pound freshman Gerrale Gates added 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.

UNO will turn around quickly and travel to Northwestern for a Thursday night contest on the Big Ten Network.

UNO Falls Just Short in Title Game

Privateer CF Orynn Veillon

After beginning by upsetting the tournament's #1 seed, dropping a winner's bracket game to Houston Baptist in the wee hours of Saturday morning, then coming back to beat HBU on Saturday afternoon, the Privateers finally fell to Northwestern State, 7-5, in the tournament title game.

With its entire pitching staff running on empty, New Orleans went to Bryan Warzek, who threw 110 pitches in Thursday's victorious start, but Warzek was roughed up early as the Demons took a 4-2 lead in the second.  NWST extended the lead to 5-2 before the Privateers fought back with a three-run fifth to tie the score.

William Griffin extended himself way beyond his comfort level in relief, pitching effectively over 4 2/3 innings and 79 pitches in his first appearance of the tournament. But Griffin was taken deep in the seventh by David Fry, the SLC Player of the Year, and the Demons retook the lead at 6-5.  Northwestern State added another run that inning to conclude the game's scoring.

Orynn Veillon concluded the season with a 3-RBI performance, keeping the Privateers in the hunt all night. UNO finished 29-32.

Halfway There: Privateers 2-0 in SLC Tourney

Veillon's two-RBI double
provided the winning margin

The lowest seed in the Southland Conference baseball tournament continues to surprise, as the upstart Privateers knocked off Houston Baptist 3-1 in a winner's bracket game on Thursday evening.

Bryan Warzek wasn't his sharpest but fought through trouble at numerous points, pitching six quality innings and surrendering just one run. In the bottom of the third inning, Pearce Howard walked with the bases loaded to tie the game at 1-1.  Then, Orynn Veillon crushed a double to the wall in left field to plate two more, and that improbably ended the scoring for the evening.

John Barr pitched his second consecutive scoreless two-inning relief stint, setting up Reeves Martin's second consecutive save.

New Orleans now gets to sit back and watch Houston Baptist and Sam Houston burn some more pitching at noon Friday before the winner of that game takes on the Bucs sometime Friday evening.  The HBU-SHSU winner will have to beat UNO twice in order to reach the tournament championship game.

On the other side of the bracket, Northwestern State sits in the driver's seat after rallying to defeat Southeastern Louisiana, 5-1.  SLU and Nicholls will start tomorrow's proceedings with a 9 a.m. elimination contest.

Official box score
Discussion forum tournament thread

Privateers Upset Top-Seeded Bearkats

Bratton's two-run triple tied the
game in the 8th inning on Wednesday

In game one of the Southland Conference baseball tournament in Sugar Land, Texas, the tournament's lowest seed, #8 New Orleans, sprung an upset on top-seeded Sam Houston in 10 innings, 4-3.

Unable to start ace lefty Bryan Warzek, the Privateers faced even longer odds than one might see in an 8/1 game. Warzek, who did not throw until this past Saturday due to weather complications, was not fully rested by the start of the SLC Tournament. New Orleans had to rely on the volatile John Michael Stephens, who has been the team's most up-and-down performer.

Fortunately, UNO got the good version tonight, and his seven strong innings against the formidable Bearkats put the Bucs in position to win. Still, New Orleans was down 3-1 in the eighth until Beau Bratton's two-run triple tied it up.  The Privateers got it to extras, when they were able to scrape across one more run via Cody Ducote's sac fly.

After some quality relief work from John Barr, Reeves Martin shut the door on SHSU in the 10th and the Privateers had the victory.

New Orleans will play tomorrow night at 7:00ish against Houston Baptist, who defeated Central Arkansas 14-4.

Official box score
Discussion forum tournament thread

Privateers Finish 8-2 Road Trip With Win

Pearce Howard's two-run single won
Sunday's nightcap at Lamar in the 12th

The Privateer baseball team left for its 10-day road trip on the verge of falling off a cliff, and returned in the thick of the race to qualify for the Southland Conference tournament.

New Orleans continued its odyssey this past weekend in Beaumont, claiming two out of three games at last-place Lamar, with the only Cardinal victory somehow coming over UNO superstar hurler Bryan Warzek, who was uncharacteristically wild in walking six in just four innings of work.

The Privateers, however, came up with 21 innings of superb work from the rest of the staff in a Sunday doubleheader sweep of Lamar, allowing just two runs for the entire day.  UNO won the first game 6-2, and the nightcap 2-0 in 12 innings.

On Tuesday, if the baseball gods had a truly wicked sense of humor, they would have taken advantage of a third straight close UNO-Tulane contest by gifting the Bucs a third consecutive win via wild pitch.  But in reality, the Green Wave took this round on a walkoff double, claiming a 4-3 victory over the Pelican Cup champs.

Finally, on Wednesday, New Orleans rallied past Southern in Baton Rouge, 7-5. Collin Morrill had three hits, and Devin Morrill and Beau Bratton added two apiece to fuel the Privateer offense, while the pitching staff struck out 17 Jaguars.

UNO returns home 17-17 overall and 7-8 in the Southland Conference, placing them in eighth place (eight teams qualify for the tournament).  A big series awaits back at Maestri Field against McNeese beginning Friday night at 6:30 p.m.

Privateers Halfway to Perfect Road Trip

The Privateers left Maestri Field last Sunday with a 9-15 overall record and a 2-7 league record, facing a 10-game road trip that threatened to completely unravel their season.

After claiming the Pelican Cup at Tulane this evening, the Privateers are now 5-0 on that road trip, with a conference series looming at cellar-dwelling 6-22 Lamar this weekend.

Bryan Warzek fanned 16
in Saturday's win

For the second time in two games against the Wave, the Privateers won on a wild pitch in the ninth inning. This time, it was a lower scoring affair that ended 3-2 in favor of the silver and blue.

The road trip began with a quality 8-2 victory in Mobile over a solid South Alabama team. It continued in Corpus Christi over the weekend, where UNO took the first game 13-8, the second game 2-0, and rallied from three runs down to complete the sweep, 6-5.  The highlight of the series was Bryan Warzek's dominant 8-inning, 16-strikeout performance in the middle game.

Now the Bucs head to Beaumont with another sweep on their minds against last-place Lamar.  The road trip will conclude after that with another midweek game uptown against Tulane and a game in Baton Rouge at Southern.

UCA Sweeps Series at Maestri Field

A rough week for Privateer baseball concluded with a three-game sweep at the hands of Central Arkansas over the weekend at Maestri Field.

Discussion forum series thread

Josh Somdecerff homered
twice in the series

On Friday night, New Orleans got another fine outing from Bryan Warzek, as the junior southpaw threw 7 innings, allowing just 2 runs and striking out 10.  However, his team fell to 0-3 in conference games that he starts, as the UNO offense could only muster 2 runs on 10 hits, and the Privateers fell in 10 innings, 4-2.

On Saturday, the Privateer pitching staff was blitzed from the outset, as starter John Michael Stephens only lasted 1 1/3 innings, and his relievers didn't fare much better.  By the end of the day, UCA's output totaled 22 hits and 16 runs, and despite homers from Owen Magee, Collin Morrill, and Kenneth Yetter, UNO was never really in this one, dropping a 16-7 decision.

Cody Davenport took a no-hitter
into the 7th inning on Sunday

On Sunday, the Bears' Cody Davenport tossed a complete game. Despite a New Orleans rally netting a run each in the eighth and the ninth innings, Davenport finished what he started, and UCA prevailed again 5-3.

The week began with a Tuesday morning matchup at nationally ranked Ole Miss, a game UNO lost 9-4.

The Privateers (9-15, 2-7) now embark on a 10-game road trip beginning Tuesday night at South Alabama and continuing with a road conference series (Thursday through Saturday) at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Campbell Beats the Buzzer, Beats UNO

Zeke Charles, who returns
in 2018-19, led UNO in
scoring Monday at Campbell

The Privateer basketball season is really over this time, after losing a late lead and falling 71-69 at Campbell in the CBI quarterfinals.

New Orleans (16-17), which led 44-34 in the second half, surrendered the lead to the Camels but regained it shortly after, going up 63-60 on a late Tyren Harrison putback before Campbell hit a 6-0 run.  Then, Harrison's old fashioned three-point play off another offensive board tied the game with 52 seconds left.

That set the stage for the frantic finish.  The Camels' all-everything guard Chris Clemons swished a roughly 30-footer with 20 seconds left.  After a timeout, UNO's Zeke Charles stepped back and swished his own three, his fifth of the game, to tie it with 7 seconds left.  Then, some shaky Privateer defense gave Cory Gensler a clean look from about 17 feet, and he banged it home for the last-second victory.

Clemons led all scorers with 35 for Campbell.  Charles had a fantastic effort for UNO with 19.  Scott Plaisance and Troy Green added 11, and Makur Puou closed his college career with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Discussion forum game thread

More Late-Inning Woes for UNO

Spotty pitching all weekend doomed the Privateers (9-11, 2-4) to a 1-2 conference weekend at Abilene Christian.  New Orleans led in all three games.

On Friday, a workmanlike effort from Bryan Warzek got New Orleans a lead, but up 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth, relievers Mathew Oset and Christopher DeMayo were unable to record an out, and a bases-loaded walk-off double sent the Wildcats home happy.  Jay Robinson led the offensive effort with a 3-for-3 night with two doubles.

Owen Magee's three doubles
led the Privateers on Sunday

On Saturday, a three-run fifth by ACU wiped out the Bucs' 2-1 lead, and they held on for a 6-5 victory. Orynn Veillon, playing his first conference series after returning from a preseason injury, collected three hits.  Starter Reeves Martin allowed 4 runs in just 4 innings.

On Sunday, Owen Magee's three doubles and Cody Ducote's home run led UNO's offensive onslaught in a 14-10 victory. Starter John Michael Stephens lasted just 2 innings, and the Privateer pitching staff gave up 17 hits, but the Privateers' 20 hit barrage overcame it.  Beau Bratton, Collin Morrill, and Robinson also laced three hits apiece.

New Orleans has an 11 a.m. battle at Ole Miss coming up on Tuesday, and will be back at Maestri Field for a conference series against Central Arkansas over the weekend.

Discussion forum series thread

Berzat's Double-Double Lifts UNO

Freshman G Lamont Berzat

Hosting their first postseason game at Lakefront Arena since 1994, the Privateers (16-16) also won their first postseason game since that victory against Texas A&M, downing UT-Rio Grande Valley, 77-74 in the CBI first round.

The game was tied 37-37 at halftime, but the Privateers forced their way ahead in the second half, building a 62-55 lead.  The Vaqueros were able to rally and cut the deficit to 1 at multiple points, but just couldn't quite draw even again.

Freshman point guard Lamont Berzat turned in a dominant double-double performance with 21 points and 10 assists, as well as 4 steals. He connected on four three-pointers.  Fellow freshman Damion Rosser added 14.

Monroe, La. native Terry Winn led four Vaqueros in double figures with 14 points.

UNO awaits Campbell in the second round of the CBI.

UNO Salvages One in Hammond

After a disappointing Friday night loss at Southeastern Louisiana, the Privateers (7-9, 1-2) split a doubleheader in Hammond on Saturday night to win one of three in the opening Southland Conference series.

On Friday, New Orleans headed to the bottom of the ninth leading 6-5, but with two outs and nobody on, Southeastern's Bryce Steckler doubled. With Steckler attempting to steal third, UNO catcher Beau Bratton's throwing error resulted in a tie game.  In the tenth, with a runner on third, Privateer reliever John Barr's wild pitch ended the game at 7-6 in favor of the Lions.

Pearce Howard hit his first
college home run on Saturday

The Saturday doubeheader was played due to fears of inclement weather affecting the game scheduled for Maestri Field on Sunday afternoon.  SLU took game one, 3-1, on the strength of another superb pitching performance from Carlisle Koestler, who already owns wins over ULL and LSU this season.

In the nightcap, though, UNO got its own stellar pitching effort from lefty John Michael Stevens, who allowed just three hits and one run over seven innings.  Mathew Oset pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Stevens, and freshman Pearce Howard drilled his first collegiate home run in the winning 8-1 effort.

The Privateers return home for a Tuesday night contest against Southern.

UNO Blasted in Quarterfinals, Season Ends

The first time around, the Privateers, down four starters, played Sam Houston to a three-point game on the road. Today, with two of those players back, New Orleans was dominated by the Bearkats 85-63 in a season-ending loss in the quarterfinals of the Southland tournament.

UNO didn't count on Sam Houston's Josh Delaney, who posted a career-high with 25 points on seven three pointers. The Bearkats were all over the Bucs early on, sprinting to an early lead on the strength of aggressive rebounding and sharp shooting.  UNO ended up losing the rebounding battle by an embarrassing 45-23 count.

Playing again without its leader in nearly every category, Travin Thibodeaux, New Orleans could not piece together much of an offensive effort to counteract SHSU.  Ezekiel Charles led the UNO effort with 12 points, and outgoing senior Makur Puou added 11 to go along with a team-leading 7 rebounds.

Earlier in the day, the UNO women surrendered 11 three-pointers and could not muster much of a defensive effort in falling in their first tournament game to Abilene Christian, 88-66.

Back in Katy, UNO Bounces Corpus

Freshman G Damion Rosser

The Privateers (15-15) began the 2017-18 Southland Conference tournament the way they ended the 2016-17 event -- by eliminating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, this time by an 83-76 score.

Playing the tournament without their top two scorers, New Orleans dominated from the jump, shooting a blistering 68% in the first half and leading by as many as 17 before settling for a 43-29 halftime edge.

However, the second half was a different story.  UNO cooled off and was unable to keep its turnovers down, committing 21 for the game.  Meanwhile, the Islanders, who missed their first 10 three-point attempts, hit four late and got as close as 4 with 1:11 left, but Damion Rosser hit a critical follow-up off a Makur Puou fast break layup miss to stem the tide.

The freshman Rosser led the Privateers with 17 points, while junior Ezekiel Charles added 15.  Rosser and Charles also nabbed 7 rebounds apiece.  Scott Plaisance also contributed 13 for the winners.  The Islanders' Joseph Kilgore was huge in a losing effort, posting a game-high 29 points.

New Orleans' victory means they hit the floor again tomorrow to play 4th seeded Sam Houston State, again a 5 p.m. tip.  The Privateer women will begin their tournament at 1:30 against Abilene Christian.

Wild (Pitch) Win: UNO Beats Tulane

Jay Robinson's 5-RBI night
lifted UNO to victory

Power from an unlikely source propelled New Orleans to an 8-7 come-from-behind victory over Tulane on Tuesday night at Maestri Field, for the first win in this year's Pelican Cup series.

Jay Robinson's grand slam in the second inning gave UNO an early 4-0 lead.  Still up 5-3 in the eighth, Privateer reliever John Barr came into a bases-loaded no-out situation and, after retiring two in a row, surrendered a Green Wave grand slam to Grant Witherspoon.

But the Bucs fought back in the bottom of the inning, as Robinson again stepped up to hit an RBI triple to cut the deficit to 7-6. He then scored on Connor Pellerin's wild pitch, and after a scoreless top of the ninth for the Wave, Owen Magee doubled, advanced to third, and scored on another wild pitch, this time by Sam Bjorngjeld, for the win.

Magee also homered earlier in the game and was 2-for-4 on the night. Robinson and Collin Morrill also had two hits apiece for New Orleans.

UNO begins conference play this weekend against Southeastern Louisiana, with Friday and Saturday evening games in Hammond followed by a Sunday contest at Maestri Field.

Privateers Drop 2 of 3 to ASU

Warzek continued to dominate with
a 12-strikeout game on Friday

After an incredible pitching effort on Friday night got the Privateers (5-7) off to a good start in its home weekend series against Arkansas State, UNO dropped Saturday's and Sunday's games to cap a 1-3 week.

On Friday, Bryan Warzek turned in another stellar effort, striking out 12 in six innings of work and allowing just one unearned run on a Darren Willis error. Willis later made up for his mistake by tying the game with an RBI single, then winning it with a walk-off single in the 11th, 2-1.  John Barr relieved Warzek and threw five shutout innings out of the pen.

On Saturday, the Privateers and Red Wolves got involved in a bench-clearing brawl after a non-slide collision at home plate that got starter Kyle Arjona kicked out of the game. ASU's Jaylon Deshazier hit a grand slam in the 5th to break the game open, and they won going away 12-3.

On Sunday, UNO starter Reeves Martin struggled, surrendering 4 runs in 4+ innings, and the offense scuffled once again, only mustering one run until they scored two in an attempted ninth-inning rally.  It fell short, though, and so did the Privateers, by a 6-3 count.

In their midweek game, New Orleans did manage some offense, but 15th ranked Southern Mississippi managed more, edging the upset-minded home team at Maestri Field, 9-7.

Tulane is next for the Privateers to finish the homestand at the Maes on Tuesday night.

Shorthanded again, UNO Falls to SLU

Filmore had 23 points
for Jay Ladner's squad

For the third game in a row, the Privateer leader in most categories, Travin Thibodeaux, watched from the bench as his teammates lost, 68-64 to SLU on this night at Lakefront Arena.

In the suspended senior's absence, Diontae Champion led New Orleans with 16 in the losing effort. Southeastern's Joshua Fillmore hit five threes on his way to 19 first half points and 23 overall.

Champion had 16 to lead UNO

On the strength of Fillmore's unconscious shooting, the Lions led UNO 38-31 at the half.  The visitors extended their second half lead to as much as 17 before the Bucs rallied to tie the game at 59. But Marlain Veal had some key buckets down the stretch for SLU, and without its best player, the Privateers (14-15, 11-7) just couldn't muster enough offense at the end.

New Orleans will next play in the first round of the Southland Conference tournament next Wednesday in Katy, Texas.

UNO Wins Two at Sugar Bowl Classic

Warzek dominated Ball State

After taking two defeats in midweek games, the Privateers (4-4) rebounded with wins over Ball State and Virginia Tech before falling to Iowa while hosting the Sugar Bowl Classic at Maestri Field.

On Friday night against Ball State, Bryan Warzek was dominant, firing 7 innings of shutout baseball while striking out 12.  Collin Morrill doubled and drove in five runs to boost the struggling New Orleans offense, and Cody Ducote added a homer in the 10-1 victory.

On Saturday, the Privateers were in and out of trouble all day, as the visiting Hokies of Virginia Tech mustered only two runs off 10 hits.  Kyle Arjona got through 5 tough innings for the win, Owen Magee had his second homer of the week to power the offense (the first was at LSU), and Beau Bratton went 3-for-3 and blasted his first round-tripper in the 4-2 triumph.

Magee had two HRs this week

On Sunday, the Iowa Hawkeyes stifled the Privateers' attempt to sweep the Classic, jumping on Brayson Smith and Eric Orze early to establish a lead and win going away, 8-2. Ducote knocked in both New Orleans runs.

Before the weekend, UNO endured some hard times, mustering just 4 hits off the SWAC's Jackson State in a 4-2 loss on Tuesday, then blowing an early 3-0 at LSU on Wednesday with a disastrous pitching effort and eventual 14-6 loss.

Shorthanded UNO Falls Again

Freshman G Troy Green

Again playing without indefinitely suspended leading scorer Travin Thibodeaux, the Privateers (14-14, 11-6) fell to Nicholls at Stopher Gym, 78-64.

New Orleans, which did have Lamont Berzat and Bryson Robinson back from suspension and Ezekiel Charles back from injury, again fought gamely, leading the host Colonels for much of the first half before trailing 36-32 at the intermission.  The game was tied as late as 48-48 before Nicholls cleaned up its generally sloppy play and finished strong.  UNO never cleaned up its sloppiness, turning the ball over 24 times.

Troy Green put an impressive offensive game together, finishing with 18 points and getting to the foul line 10 times.  Robinson added 13 off the bench.

UNO will finish the regular season on Wednesday night at Lakefront Arena with a rematch against Southeastern Louisiana.

Bearkats Nip Depleted Privateers

Puou's double-double
wasn't quite enough

On a strange night in Huntsville, the Privateers played a critical late season conference tilt without four of its best players, falling to Sam Houston 57-54.

With Ezekiel Charles out with an injury and Travin Thibodeaux, Bryson Robinson, and Lamont Berzat out for reasons nobody appeared to want to talk about, the Privateer backups plus Makur Puou fought valiantly but came up just short after holding the hosts without a point for the last 4:51.

Puou tried his best to carry UNO to victory with a huge double double, notching 20 points and 10 rebounds. No other players scored in double digits for the Bucs, though Diontae Champion almost got his own double-double with 9 points and 9 rebounds

New Orleans next travels to Thibodaux on Saturday for a rematch against Nicholls.

UNO Takes 2 of 3 on Opening Weekend

A new UNO baseball season is underway, and while the Privateers were unable to sweep in the MLB Andre Dawson Classic, they did grab two wins in their three games.

On opening night at Maestri Field, New Orleans rallied from a 4-2 deficit late to tie Illinois-Chicago, then walked off the Flames in the bottom of the 10th inning on a Darren Willis bloop single over a drawn-in infield for a 5-4 victory. The bullpen was the story in this one, as they got 4 2/3 scoreless innings from relievers William Griffin and Mathew Oset, which paved the way for the comeback.

On Saturday, the Privateers got their first home run of the season from transfer newcomer Cody Ducote, but still fell to Alabama State at Barrow Stadium by a 6-3 score.  The game was carried nationally on the MLB Network.

On Sunday back at the Maes, the struggling UNO offense got a look at the lesser end of Southern's pitching staff and took advantage, exploding for 14 runs, including an eight-run seventh inning, in a 14-3 victory. Jacob McFadden went deep for New Orleans for his first home run, and John Thomas Mauldin added two doubles.

The Privateers will be back at home on Tuesday night against Jackson State before they travel to Baton Rouge to face LSU on Wednesday.

15-0 Run Helps UNO Edge McNeese

Puou's career high
lifted UNO to victory

The Privateers (14-12, 11-4) broke open a 33-32 lead at the break with a second-half-opening 15-0 run, downing McNeese State on homecoming afternoon at Lakefront Arena, 90-74.

On senior night, senior Makur Puou had a career high scoring night for New Orleans with 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Fellow senior Travin Thibodeaux added 18 to go along with a team-leading 7 assists.

The game was largely a struggle in the first half, as the visiting Cowboys led most of the way until UNO snuck ahead just before halftime. After the big run, though, the Privateers were not seriously threatened.

New Orleans will visit Sam Houston State on Wednesday night for a key game with tournament bye implications.

SLU Fights Off UNO, Wins 71-64

Berzat hit three triples for UNO

The Privateers (13-12, 10-4) rallied from down 25 in the second half to cut the deficit to 6, but ultimately dug itself too big a hole, falling at Southeastern Louisiana, 71-64.

New Orleans surrendered an early 18-0 run, falling behind 20-5. It didn't get much better the remainder of the first half, as they trailed a whopping 40-17 at the break, unable to stop the Lions' penetration.  UNO fought back, cutting the margin as low as 68-62 with 32.1 seconds remaining, but were unable to grab key rebounds down the stretch to help their cause.

Troy Green led a lackluster offensive effort with 13 points.  Lamont Berzat added 11 points, including 3-of-4 from deep.  Leading scorer Travin Thibodeaux was held to just 5.

UNO will come back home for a doubleheader against McNeese on Saturday, with the women tipping off at 2 p.m. and the men a half an hour after the end of that game.

Privateers Gut Out A Road Win

Senior Travin Thibodeaux

After taking a beating at the hands of Nicholls last week at Lakefront Arena, the Privateers (13-11, 10-3) got an important grind-it-out win at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 62-53 on Saturday night.

New Orleans broke open an early back-and-forth game with six straight points to lead 29-22 at the break. They couldn't quite shake the Islanders on their homecoming night, as they couldn't get the lead beyond low double digits before TAMU-CC made a run to cut the lead to 45-41. But then the Privateers put the game away with 11 straight points down the stretch.

Travin Thibodeaux again led New Orleans in scoring with 16 points.  Sophomore guard Bryson Robinson added 15, including three triples. It was not a sparkling shooting night for the Privateers, but they committed just 8 turnovers as a team.

UNO will hit the road again with a short trip to Hammond on Valentine's Day to take on another top Southland contender in Southeastern Louisiana

Discussion forum game thread

Nicholls Blasts UNO to Claim 1st

Peters drives against Makur Puou

The showdown for first place on the lakefront wasn't much of a showdown at all. The Nicholls Colonels dominated the Privateers from the jump and claimed their share of first going away, 81-64.

New Orleans (12-11, 9-3) fell behind 14-6 early and lost ground at the end of the first half, trailing at the break 35-23.  Nicholls removed any doubt soon after, extending its lead to 55-32 before the Privateers were finally able to chip away to some degree. But UNO couldn't get any closer than 10, and the game was never really in doubt.

Roddy Peters, formerly of Maryland, led Nicholls' band of transfers with 27 points. Bryson Robinson hit a flurry of late threes to lead UNO with 22 points. Travin Thibodeaux had 20.

UNO gets a week-long break before returning to action at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi next Saturday night. The Bucs knocked off the Islanders 61-55 in New Orleans earlier this season.

UNO Cruises to Win; Nicholls Looms

Thibodeaux again
led UNO with 21

The Privateers (12-10, 9-2) jumped ahead early and never looked back, cruising to a comfortable win at Lakefront Arena on Wednesday night over Northwestern State, 82-64.

Travin Thibodeaux led four Privateers in double digits with 21 points. Troy Green got back into a groove with 12 points, Makur Puou had 11, and Ezekiel Charles added 10.

UNO has had a soft schedule of late, sweeping two winless Southland teams in the Demons and Incarnate Word in its last four games en route to reclaiming first place. But it's about to get much tougher, as New Orleans hosts 7-2 Nicholls in a showdown on Saturday afternoon on the lakefront.

UNO Surges Late to Win at UIW

Makur Puou led UNO
with 18 points

Trailing 45-44 more than midway through the second half, the Privateers (11-10, 8-2) took control late and completed a sweep of the week's two road games with a 68-58 win at Incarnate Word.

Makur Puou was a huge presence, especially in the second half, leading the way for New Orleans with 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting.  16 of those points came after halftime. Travin Thibodeaux, steady as always, added 14 for the victors.

UNO led 29-27 at the break, though they gave up the last six points of the frame and fell behind early in the second. The Bucs shot poorly from the free throw line and from outside, but they tightened up the defense, forcing 20 turnovers on the afternoon, and leaned heavily on Puou down the stretch to pull them through.

New Orleans is back home for two games this coming week, the first on Wednesday night at Lakefront Arena for a rematch with Northwestern State.

Official box score
Discussion forum game thread

Privateers Shoot Past Demons

Robinson led UNO with 17

New Orleans is not known for its strong outside shooting, but that perception could start to change with more nights like Wednesday, when its blistering 9-of-17 pace from downtown helped to down the Northwestern State Demons in Prather Coliseum, 73-67.

The Privateers (10-10, 7-2) trailed early but edged ahead 35-31 at the break.  The game remained close for a little while in the second half before a flurry put the Bucs up by double digits.  The Demons, still winless in the Southland, were not quite able to rally because New Orleans always seemed to have an answer at the right time.

Bryson Robinson, 3-for-4 from deep, led the way with 17 points. Ezekiel Charles, 4-for-6 from three, continued his outstanding play of late with 15.  Travin Thibodeaux added 11.

New Orleans will play on the road again on Saturday, meeting back up with Incarnate Word, who it just defeated by four points this past Saturday at Lakefront Arena.

Privateers Bounce Back, Hold Off UIW

Thibodeaux scores
in the second half

In front of the largest crowd of the season, the Privateers (9-10, 6-2) fought off Incarnate Word, winless in conference play, for a tight 74-70 victory at Lakefront Arena.

New Orleans trailed by as many as 10 in the first half before heading to the locker room down 38-34. They continued to chip away, finally going ahead 50-48 on a Thibodeaux dunk.  A Bryson Robinson three-point play extended the lead late to 67-61, and UNO held on for the victory.

Thibodeaux, not surprisingly, led the Bucs once again in scoring with 21, also adding 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Ezekiel Charles was an important factor with Diontae Champion still injured, starting and adding 15 points, including three triples. Lamont Berzat chipped in 12, including three three-pointers of his own.

UNO will finally hit the road again next week for two games, the first at Northwestern State on Wednesday.

UCA Humiliates UNO on the Lakefront

Thibodeaux was solid on
a brutal night at UNO

If the Privateers (8-10, 5-2) are a contender in the Southland Conference, there was no evidence of it on a chilly Wednesday night at Lakefront Arena, where Central Arkansas dominated New Orleans 81-57.

The Bears jumped out to a 22-6 lead and were never even slightly threatened at any point.

UNO was unable to take advantage of a typically porous Bears defense, shooting a frosty 34% from the field despite numerous opportunities from up close. Jordan Howard, the only UCA player averaging double digits, notched 24 points but was joined by teammates Mathieu Kamba with 23 and Thatch Unruh with 12.  Despite shooting just 4-for-18 from deep, UCA shot 50% overall because of the Privateers' own porous defense in the paint.

Travin Thibodeaux turned in his usual effort, scoring 16 points, but he got little help from his teammates.

New Orleans will finish its three-game home stand on Saturday evening against Incarnate Word.

UNO Survives Upset Bid

Thibodeaux laughs at
your upset attempt

It was a struggle the Privateers didn't expect, but they barely escaped a challenge from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Lakefront Arena Saturday afternoon, winning 61-55.

New Orleans (8-9, 5-1) was again led by Travin Thibodeaux with 20 points. Freshman Lamont Berzat came up with a huge performance, draining 3-for-3 from deep and scoring 15 points. Mike Zeno added 11, including a huge dunk with 31 seconds left to put UNO up by three. Thibodeaux's two free throws clinched the game moments later.

They don't make it sound like this is true, but UNO's next home game is against Central Arkansas on Wednesday night, before its contest against Incarnate Word on January 20.

Discussion forum game thread

Privateers Come Up Short at SFA

Thibodeaux's superior effort
kept UNO close at SFA

On the road facing Stephen F. Austin, the consensus Southland Conference preseason favorites, the defending league champion Privateers (7-9, 4-1) fell behind big early, fought their way almost all the way back, then fell just short to the host Lumberjacks, 78-68.

Travin Thibodeaux's superior effort kept New Orleans within striking distance. Thibodeaux had 24 points, including 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, to go along with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Diontae Champion joined him in double figures with 11 points, and Mike Zeno added 10.

UNO fell behind 19-4 at the outset, but clawed their way back to within five before heading into the break down 33-25. The Privateers got as close as two points late in the second half, but couldn't quite come up with a finishing push.

There is still an unbeaten in the league, however, as Southeastern Louisiana surpassed UNO in the standings with another winning effort at Lamar, continuing their surprise start.

New Orleans will return home to face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday afternoon.

Discussion forum game thread

UNO Now 4-0 after OT Win

Guard Bryson Robinson

On the strength of a career game from sophomore guard Bryson Robinson, the Privateers (7-8, 4-0) continued their surprising start to the 2017-18 conference slate with an 82-75 overtime win at McNeese State.

Robinson notched 31 points on the day, including 9 in the extra session, shooting 7-for-8 from three point range in addition to 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Travin Thibodeaux added 14 points and led New Orleans with 9 rebounds and 5 assists.  Michael Zeno added 12 points.

UNO trailed 36-28 at the break but quickly rallied in the second half, closing the gap and surging ahead to a seven-point lead.  But McNeese rallied to tie the game late and send it to overtime.  After the Cowboys opened an early three-point OT lead, Robinson hit a three to tie it.  McNeese went back up 75-73, but Robinson hit a jumper to tie it again.  Robinson then drained four free throws in a row, and UNO had a lead it would maintain for good.

The Privateers will put their unbeaten mark to the ultimate Southland test this coming Wednesday.  They'll take on league heavyweight Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches.

Discussion forum game thread

UNO Beats Lamar, Alone in First

Diontae Champion slams home
a dunk early in the second half

The Privateers (6-8, 3-0) continued their hot start to the Southland Conference season by knocking off Lamar 72-62 at Lakefront Arena on Wednesday night.

New Orleans, now alone in first place in the young season at 3-0 (Southeastern Louisiana is also unbeaten but has only played twice), led 29-16 at the break after an ugly first half. Lamar, which featured former UNO coach Tic Price as well as former Privateer players Colton Weisbrod and James Harrison, shot as frigid as the temperature outside, hitting on just 27% of their attempts in the first stanza.

After UNO extended its lead to 18 early in the second, Lamar rallied with a flurry of threes and got within four at multiple points down the stretch. But the Bucs, shooting a perfect 13-for-13 from the free throw line, held off the Cardinals late to secure another victory.

Makur Puou led New Orleans with another strong effort with 14 points.  Diontae Champion added 13, and Travin Thibodeaux and Bryson Robinson added 12 each.  Robinson also had 8 assists. Thibodeaux had 3 steals, two of which came late on critical Lamar possessions.

UNO will head to Lake Charles next on Saturday to take on surprising McNeese State.

Official box score