Rice Blitzes UNO in Second Half, Wins

Rice scored just 20 points in the first half but 53 in the second en route to a 73-62 win over New Orleans on Monday afternoon.

The host Owls got off to a slow start, as UNO opened an early 10-2 lead and brought a five-point lead to the locker room.  The Privateers led as late as 42-40 on an Ahren Freeman three-point play before Rice launched a game-turning 12-1 run to take the lead for good.

New Orleans was led by Rodney Carson with a career-high 15 points.  Carson, Lamont Berzat, and Derek St. Hilaire each hit three from downtown, as UNO hit a season-high 11 threes. Berzat was the only other Privateer in double figures with 14 points. Damion Rosser and Troy Green, who have shouldered most of the load thus far this season, combined for just 8 points.

This appears to be the final tuneup before conference play begins at Stephen F. Austin on January 2.

UNO Fades Down Stretch, Loses to Cajuns

Once again, the Privateers found themselves with a second half lead over Louisiana Lafayette.  Once again, they were unable to finish the deal, dropping another one to the Ragin' Cajuns, 73-63.

Up 35-31 at the half in the Cajundome, New Orleans lost, then regained the lead, going up 50-46 with possession.  But after a turnover, ULL ripped off a 16-5 run to shift the game and take control.

Troy Green, off an outstanding Dolphin Classic last week in Jacksonville, again led UNO with xx points. Lamont Berzat and Damion Rosser joined him in double figures with 13 and 10, respectively.

New Orleans turns around and heads to LSU for a matchup with the Tigers tomorrow night.

Privateers Finish 1-2 at Dolphin Classic

The Privateers dropped game three at the Dolphin Classic in Jacksonville to host JU by a 77-70 final.

New Orleans, which trailed early by 13 points, spent the entire game almost catching up, then falling behind again, unable to finally overtake the Dolphins, who finished 2-1 at their own tournament. Campbell went 3-0, and Florida National 0-3.

Troy Green and Damion Rosser once again kept UNO in the game, with Green notching 24 points and Rosser 23.  Green also added 8 rebounds.

Although the Privateers shot 51% overall, they only connected on 2-for-11 from downtown, for a total of 6-for-42 at the three-day event in Florida.

UNO will next travel to Lafayette for a return game against the Ragin' Cajuns next Tuesday night at the Cajundome.

UNO Falls to Campbell at Dolphin Classic

A day after notching its first win of the season, the Privateers dropped a 79-70 decision to Campbell on the second day of the Dolphin Classic in Jacksonville.

New Orleans got out to a 19-16 first half lead, but with Damion Rosser in foul trouble and Troy Green trying to do it all, UNO fell behind big and went into the locker room down 15.  The Privateers trailed by more than 20 points in the second half before rallying late to cut the margin.

Green had a career-high 34 points, but got limited help from his teammates, and the team committed 17 turnovers, a persistent problem early in the season.  The Privateers shot 4-for-18 from downtown after shooting 0-for-13 yesterday.  UNO also allowed the Camels to shoot 61% from the field.

New Orleans will take on host Jacksonville tomorrow on ESPN+ at 4 p.m.

Privateers Win First at Dolphin Classic

Senior Troy Green

It was not pretty, but the New Orleans Privateers got their first win of the 2020-21 basketball season at the Dolphin Classic in Jacksonville, besting Florida National 74-57.

Once again, UNO got nice performances from Damion Rosser and Troy Green, with Rosser leading the way in scoring with 22 points on 10-of-11 shooting.  Green, meanwhile, notched a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds.  Sophomore Ahren Freeman chipped in 12 points and 7 boards.  Jahmel Myers led the Bucs with 7 assists.

The Privateers struggled early in the mid-afternoon contest, leading its NAIA opponents just 18-17 before ripping off a 21-3 run to finish the half.  After the break, the Conquistadors worked their way back within 11 but could get no closer as New Orleans, while sluggish, was able to hold them off.

UNO will play again tomorrow at the same time, 1:30 p.m. CST, against Campbell.

Cajuns Edge UNO Down The Stretch

Damion Rosser scores
in the first half

An ugly first half turned into a hotly contested game down the stretch, with UL Lafayette edging New Orleans in the Privateers' home opener, 66-63.

New Orleans led 15-6 early, but were unable to build on the lead as the misses and turnovers piled up.  But the Cajuns chipped away very slowly at the lead, as they only shot 35% for their part in the first half. But when the visitors heated up in the second half, they were able to take command as the Privateers continued to struggle to find any rhythm.

Down the stretch, UNO rallied, sneaking back into the lead at 56-55 on a deep Rodney Carson two, but the Cajuns pulled back ahead 59-56. Carson drained a three to tie it, but Mylik Wilson's three-point play put the visitors back up 62-59. Wilson had a game-high 21 points.

Turnovers were a killer for New Orleans, who gave the ball away 23 times, including a brutal one in their own backcourt with a chance to tie down 63-61. Damion Rosser led the club with 18.  Rodney Carson came off the bench for 11 huge points. Troy Green added 12.

Next up for UNO will be three games in a multi-team event in Jacksonville running from December 8-10.

Privateer Memories: Gerald Williams Game Winner

In front of another large UNO/USL crowd at Lakefront Arena, the Privateers lose a late lead but salvage the game on Gerald Williams' buzzer beating jump shot.  New Orleans wins, 73-71.

Privateer Memories: Leonard Bennett Beats Buzzer

The Privateers secured yet another victory at the Cajundome in 1991, this one coming via Leonard Bennett's leaping leaner with two seconds left.  UNO won 66-64.

Privateer Memories: Grider's Revenge

USL's Sydney Grider missed a potential game-winning three against UNO earlier in the 1990 season in Lafayette; this time he got the W in front of over 9,200 fans at Lakefront Arena.  We don't normally post losses here, but a nod of respect to this dude.

Also, getting home from this game to find out Mike Tyson had been knocked out by a nobody was surreal.

Privateer Memories: UNO Tops USL in 1990

In Tim Floyd's second year, New Orleans recovered from a 2-7 start to finish with a 21-11 record and an NIT berth.  Key to that recovery was this American South Conference opener in the Cajundome against the USL Ragin' Cajuns, which ended in a thrilling 89-87 Privateers victory.

Tony Harris, having suffered a broken wrist in the previous game against Tulane, wasn't supposed to play.  Turns out, he did.

Privateers Lose By 29 at Texas A&M

Playing the second game of a season-opening two-game road trip, New Orleans dropped an 82-53 decision to former coach Buzz Williams and Texas A&M.

The Privateers took an early 15-14 lead before surrendering a 12-0 run to fall behind for good.  Ladarius Marshall led UNO with 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting in his second game with the team.  Troy Green added 11 points and Damion Rosser 10.

For the second straight game, New Orleans allowed above 50% shooting, as the Aggies shot 50.9% from the field.

New Orleans will open its home schedule on Wednesday night at Lakefront Arena against Louisiana Lafayette.

Privateers Back On The Floor, Lose to BYU

It seems like it's been a lifetime since the UNO baseball team defeated Southern on March 11.

Privateer athletics is back in action, with the basketball team opening the 2020-21 season in Provo against Brigham Young with a 86-61 loss, a result that apparently exorcised some demons former BYU star Michael Smith has been fighting for awhile.

UNO, facing the Cougars for the first time since defeating Smith and BYU in the NCAA Tournament in 1987, took an early 9-6 lead on a Lamont Berzat three-pointer before surrendering a 19-5 run and falling behind for good.  The undersized Privateers actually got themselves to the free throw line fairly often (32 attempts), but the size advantage was still too much to overcome, with the host team owning a 46-16 advantage on points in the paint and outrebounding New Orleans 54-28.

Damion Rosser, back on the floor after suffering a season-ending foot injury last year against Xavier (LA), just missed a double-double with 15 points and 9 rebounds.  Berzat added 15 points of his own, but the Privateers shot just 33.3% from the field overall.

Next up is probably Buzz Williams' Texas A&M Aggies on Sunday afternoon.

UNO Bests Southern; Season Suddenly Over

The good news: The Privateers avenged its season-opening loss and knocked off Southern 11-5 at Maestri Field on Wednesday night.

The bad news: The NCAA has cancelled all spring championships and brought the college baseball season to a sudden end due to coronavirus fears.  UNO finishes with an 11-6 record.

Be safe, everyone.

SLC Opening Weekend: UNO Wins 2 of 3

Hoping to start strong out of the gate this season, the Privateers (10-6, 2-1) rebounded from a Friday loss and took the opening conference series from Nicholls at Maestri Field.

Friday night saw Chris Turpin's solid effort go to waste, as the offense could only muster three runs in a 4-3 loss.  New Orleans rallied with two runs in the bottom of the eighth but could not quite complete the comeback.

Eric Orze: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 12 K

On Saturday, Eric Orze turned in another fine performance, improving his record to 3-0 in a 5-2 Privateer win.  Luther Woullard broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI triple, and Antonio Gauthier followed with his own RBI triple in the eighth.  Orze pitched 7 innings and struck out 12.

On Sunday, UNO mashed the Colonels 9-1, exploding for five runs in the eighth to salt away the victory.  Collin Kulivan threw 3 1/3 shutout innings in early relief of starter Bailey Holstein to hold Nicholls at bay.  Kyle Khachadourian added 2 1/3 innings of shutout relief as well.  Jorge Tejeda blasted his first homer of the year, and the Privateers drew nine walks as a team.

Earlier in the week, UNO pitching held Alcorn State scoreless, and Tresten Kennard had a home run and three hits in an 11-0 victory.

New Orleans has another busy week at home coming up, hosting Southern on Tuesday before welcoming Northwestern State to Maestri Field for a weekend conference series.

UNO Ends on WInning Note, Beats SLU

Robinson became the all-time single-
season three-point leader at UNO

The Privateers ended a miserable season on a positive note Saturday at Lakefront Arena, knocking off Southeastern Louisiana 79-69 in the season finale for both teams.

New Orleans expanded a four-point halftime lead to 12, but the Lions cut it down to 62-61 before UNO ripped off a game-clinching 9-0 run.

While Bryson Robinson set the all-time UNO single-season record for three pointers made, it was Jahmel Myers who was the offensive force in this game, scoring 20 points on 9-for-10 shooting.  Troy Green added 16.  Robinson's shot was off in the final game of a fine Privateer career, as he was just 4-for-14 for 12 points, but he did lead the team with 6 assists.

Demons Dominate Privateers

Junior G Troy Green

Needing a win in pursuit of a spot in the conference tournament, Northwestern State wiped out a Privateer squad that is playing out the string, winning 95-73 on Wednesday night at Prather Coliseum.

New Orleans, long eliminated from the Southland Tournament chase, is playing like it down the stretch.  For the second game in a row, UNO was never in it, falling behind big in the first half and losing by more than 20 in a foul-fest of a game that saw 80 combined free throw attempts.

Troy Green, though, continues to do work, posting 21 points, 7 boards, and 7 assists on the evening.  Bryson Robinson added 12.  Jahmel Myers had 11 plus a team-high 8 rebounds.

The season ends on Saturday night against Southeastern Louisiana at Lakefront Arena, another team without tournament hopes and a team UNO defeated in Hammond earlier this season.

Baseball Goes 3-2 in Busy Week

After getting shut out in Mobile and thrashing Tulane during the week, the Privateers (7-5) took two out of three from Connecticut over the weekend at Maestri Field.

The week had a rough beginning on Tuesday night, as New Orleans mustered just six hits and no runs, while committing three errors, in a 5-0 loss at South Alabama.  They bounced back the next night, however, as Brandon Mitchell's quality start and three hits each from Jamarian Crain, Pearce Howard, and Darren Willis helped power UNO to a 10-1 victory.

Luther Woullard

Over the weekend, the UConn Huskies, already with three victories over last season's national runners-up and nationally ranked Michigan, came to town and lost two of three to the Privateers.  On Friday, the host team rode another solid start from Chris Turpin and a three-hit, one-homer night from Luther Woullard to an 8-3 win.

On Saturday, New Orleans exploded for 17 runs in a 17-8 triumph, with Woullard getting another three hits, including a triple.  Pearce Howard and Salo Iza had home runs, and Gaige Howard had two hits and two walks in the offensive outburst.  Eric Orze had another fine outing to run his early-season record to 2-0.

On Sunday, UNO came back down to earth, getting handled easily 9-2 by the Huskies.  UConn broke open a 2-2 tie in the middle innings to run away with it, as Privateer starter Bailey Holstein struggled, walking 6 in 4 innings.

New Orleans will have one more pre-conference tuneup Tuesday night at home against Alcorn State before hosting Nicholls in the conference-opening series beginning this Friday.

Nicholls Runs UNO Out of Stopher

Nicholls jumped out to a 9-0 lead and never looked back, demolishing New Orleans 92-68 on Saturday afternoon at Stopher Gym.

The Colonels never trailed or even came close to trailing, and didn't break much of a sweat in disposing of the Privateers (8-20, 4-14).  Nicholls hit 11 threes on the afternoon.

UNO didn't get much of anything outside of its backcourt mainstays, Bryson Robinson and Troy Green.  Green led the Bucs with 19 points, and Robinson added 18, also leading the team with 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

New Orleans remains on the road, next traveling to Northwestern State on Wednesday to begin the final week of its season.

Corpus Pulls Away From UNO

Lamont Berzat with the
and-1 on the fast break

After launching a second half rally, the Privateers (8-19, 4-13) fell right back into a rut and fell to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi by an 81-75 score at Lakefront Arena.

The visiting Islanders took a 38-30 lead into the locker room, but New Orleans stormed back and assumed a 53-51 lead as the game headed towards the stretch run.  But UNO couldn't effectively defend TAMU-CC, which shot a sizzling 59% from the floor for the game, including 11-of-19 from three-point range.  The Bucs were also dominated on the boards, 36-22.

Bryson Robinson tried to keep New Orleans in it, posting a 23-point outing.  Troy Green added 19, and Jahmel Myers had a nice bounceback night after his five-minute foulout at McNeese, scoring 15.

With the loss, the Privateers cannot make the Southland Conference tournament field.  Their season will end upon conclusion of the regular season.

UNO heads to Nicholls on Saturday for an afternoon contest against the Colonels.

Privateers Win Foul Fest at McNeese

Guard Troy Green

The visiting Privateers were able to fend off a late rally by McNeese, defeating the slumping Cowboys 82-77 on a foul-riddled Saturday afternoon.

New Orleans (8-18, 4-12) got out to an early lead and held it steady for most of the afternoon behind an outstanding effort from junior guard Troy Green, who posted a career-high 25 points.

UNO's second half double-digit lead was whittled to nothing as they battled severe foul trouble, with three players fouling out.  As Jaylen Key didn't even make the trip, UNO had to win the game in the last couple of minutes with a five-guard lineup, with 5'6" Lamont Berzat pulling down two critical rebounds late.

Bryson Robinson was the only other Privateer in double digits with 21 points.  He hit two free throws and a huge three to break a 74-74 tie and give UNO a five-point lead in the waning moments.  Gerrale Gates led the team in rebounds and assists with 8 and 6 respectively before he fouled out.  McNeese has lost six games in a row.

UNO returns to the lakefront on Wednesday night against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

UNO Goes 1-2 in Dawson Classic

The Privateer baseball team had a disappointing opening weekend at the Andre Dawson Classic, winning just one out of three.

On opening night, Chris Turpin pitched a fine six innings and left the game with a 3-1 lead, only to have the bullpen surrender eight late runs in a 9-3 loss to Southern at Maestri Field.

Woullard was 4-for-5 on Sunday

On Saturday at Barrow Stadium, the Privateers were completely flummoxed in a masterful performance by Grambling's Bryan Delgado, who gave up just two hits and one run over 7 2/3 innings, garnering 11 strikeouts.  Newcomer Hudson LaBorde provided the only run for UNO, blasting a solo homer in a 5-1 loss.

LHP Brandon Mitchell

Back at Maestri Field on Sunday, New Orleans (1-2) took out some frustration on hapless Prairie View, winning 10-2.  A nine-run third inning was highlighted by two hits and four RBI by Luther Woullard, who had four hits overall on the day.  Brandon Mitchell was the winning pitcher, tossing five effective innings and allowing just one run.

UNO travels to Hattiesburg on Tuesday night to face Southern Miss.

UNO Loses Home Game to UIW

Green led a 2nd half surge

A bleak evening for the New Orleans Privateers turned euphoric, then quickly back to bleak in a 67-66 loss to Incarnate Word.

Trailing 39-26 at the break and by as many as 15 in the second half, UNO stepped up the defensive intensity to cut into the lead.  Troy Green's offensive surge down the stretch helped put UNO ahead.

UNO surrendered an 18-0 run in the first half, but trailing 52-44, they launched a 10-0 run of their own to propel them into the lead.  After trading the lead a few times, two Bryson Robinson free throws put the Bucs up 66-65.  But they proceeded to surrender an uncontested dunk to Marcus Larsson with two seconds left to lose the game.

Green led UNO with 16 points.  Robinson added 13, and Ahren Freeman 10.

New Orleans (7-18, 3-12) gets another week off before heading to McNeese next Saturday.

Privateers Lose Late Lead, Game

Junior G Troy Green

Locked in a tight battle with Central Arkansas, the Privateers were done in by a late Bears run in a 73-68 defeat in Conway.

Up eight at the half, New Orleans (7-17, 3-11) gradually lost their lead throughout the second frame.  But they fought back, going back ahead 61-60 on a Bryson Robinson three and then 63-60 on two Troy Green free throws.  What followed was a late, game-clinching 10-0 run by UCA to put the game on ice for the hosts.

The guard tandem of Green and Robinson not only led UNO in points -- 19 and 16 respectively -- but rebounds as well, with Green grabbing 8 and Robinson 7.

The Privateers finally return home on Saturday for a rematch with Incarnate Word, who defeated UNO 73-70 in San Antonio earlier this season.

SFA Completes Sweep of UNO

Senior G Bryson Robinson

The Privateers seemed game for a fight, but were overtaken by host Stephen F. Austin's superior talent and depth in an 81-74 defeat on Saturday afternoon.

Bryson Robinson hit some shots from downtown to keep New Orleans (7-16, 3-10) in the game early, but SFA established control and took a 19-point lead into the locker room.  UNO continued to fight and made headway in the second half, but couldn't get closer than the final seven-point margin against the first-place Lumberjacks.

Robinson led the Privateer offensive attack with 26 points, including four three-pointers.  Troy Green added 13.  Jahmel Myers chipped in 8 points and 9 rebounds.

New Orleans will continue its road trip at Central Arkansas on Wednesday night.

Privateers Never Trail in Win Over SLU

Robinson had 28 in the win

New Orleans jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, dusting off Southeastern Louisiana 84-73 in Hammond on Saturday afternoon.

Outside of a brief Lion rally late in the first half, the Privateers (7-15, 3-9) mostly maintained a double-digit lead the vast majority of the game.  They were bolstered by a tremendous shooting performance by Bryson Robinson, who knocked down 8-of-13 on his way to 28 points.  UNO, which has allowed near or over 50% shooting nearly every night in the conference season, surrendered just 41% to the Lions with an uncharacteristic zone defense meant to expose SLU's suspect outside shooters.

Joining Robinson in double figures was Gerrale Gates with 17, Troy Green with 14, and Jahmel Myers with 11.  Robinson added 7 rebounds, and Troy Green added 7 assists.

UNO gets a week off before its stiffest test of the conference season, a trip to Stephen F. Austin next Saturday.  The Privateers fell to SFA 87-68 earlier this season at Lakefront Arena.

Rally Falls Short vs. NW State

Myers had a double-double

They woke up late, but the Privateers (6-15, 2-9) dug too deep a hole in their 82-74 loss to Northwestern State at Lakefront Arena.

New Orleans trailed by 18 in the first half and as many as 23 in the second before rallying to within 7 with approximately four minutes left.  But the comeback fell short as UNO ran out of gas late, dropping its fourth in a row.

Jahmel Myers led the Privateer scoring with 18 to go along with 12 rebounds, and Bryson Robinson added 15.  Gerrale Gates had one of his better offensive performances of the season with 13.

UNO has six of its remaining nine games on the road, and that run starts in Hammond on Saturday with a game at Southeastern Louisiana.

Nicholls Fights off UNO

Robinson's jumper gives
UNO a 62-60 lead late

Despite a tremendous second half effort, the Privateers (6-14, 2-8) fell short on Alumni Night at Lakefront Arena, dropping a 77-72 contest to Nicholls.

With some of the old greats of the program looking on, New Orleans rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit, throwing their bodies around and rallying into the lead.  Troy Green's three-pointer actually put the host team up 5, but Nicholls' strength inside won the day down the stretch.

The Troy Green-Bryson Robinson guard tandem kept UNO competitive, with Green scoring 21 and Robinson 16.  Jahmel Myers added 11 but fouled out.  The Bucs got to the line significantly more often than the Colonels but made just 14 out of 27 free throws.

The Privateers stay home and will host Northwestern State on Wednesday night.

TAMU-CC Nips Privateers

Robinson: 13 pts, 8 rebs

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and the Privateers have played a few games down to the wire in recent times, and despite both clubs being down on their luck this year, Wednesday was more of the same, with UNO falling in a close one, 74-71.

New Orleans (6-13, 2-7) led 41-33 at the half, but the host Islanders opened the second half on a 15-3 run to take the lead.  UNO fought back, and the teams took turns taking the lead for the remainder of the contest.  The Privateers just couldn't come up with a stop late when they needed one, and TAMU-CC was able to hit critical free throws late to seal the win.

Jaylen Key led UNO with 14 points but battled through foul trouble, playing just 22 minutes.  Bryson Robinson added 13 to go along with a team-leading 8 boards, but the former national FT% leader missed three foul shots, including a critical one late.  Troy Green and Charles Bohannon added 10 each.

New Orleans returns home for a battle against state rival Nicholls on Saturday at Lakefront Arena.

McNeese Surges Late, Drills UNO

Bryson Robinson

It was an ugly game on the lakefront, but it ended up looking okay to visiting McNeese State, who knocked off UNO 65-52 on Saturday evening.

With backcourt henchman Troy Green enduring a miserable outing, Bryson Robinson had just about all the offensive burden resting on him.  But his 27 points weren't enough on a night where the Privateers got nothing from anyone other than he and Jaylen Key.  Key, who was back in the lineup after missing a few games with an ankle injury, added 16 on 8-for-10 shooting.

Even with all the offensive ineptitude, New Orleans maneuvered its way into a 45-44 lead in the second half before collapsing under the weight of a late 16-0 McNeese run that put the game away.

UNO next heads to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for a road tilt on Wednesday night.

Privateers Win Shootout at HBU

Raquon Brown had a career high 20

Not a lot of defense was played on Wednesday night at Sharp Gym, but the shorthanded Privateers (6-11, 2-5) found enough offense to outgun the Huskies of Houston Baptist, 106-98.

New Orleans exploded to an early 19-point lead, but HBU chipped away with an offensive onslaught of their own.  UNO still maintained a narrow lead for most of the second half, though the Huskies took a brief 93-90 lead late before the Bucs surged in the final minutes to secure the victory.

The scoring numbers were gaudy for UNO, who dressed just nine players (Lamont Berzat had the flu) but were still able to maintain a robust run-and-gun pace all night.  Bryson Robinson led the team with 26 points.  Freshman Raquon Brown posted a career high of 20, and fellow freshman Ahren Freeman added 19 on 9-of-10 shooting.  Troy Green also had 19 to go along with 8 assists.

The Privateers turned the ball over just 8 times, forcing 16 and scoring 24 off of those turnovers.

New Orleans returns home to battle McNeese on Saturday at Lakefront Arena.

UNO Bottoms Out at UIW

Gerrale Gates had a double-double

It's been a rough season for the injury-riddled Privateers, but New Orleans took its worst setback yet on Saturday afternoon in San Antonio, falling to Southland cellar dweller Incarnate Word, 73-70.

UNO took the lead early but sloppy, foul-ridden play hurt them as the afternoon went along.  The Privateers (5-11, 1-5) did rally late, even taking a 70-69 lead on two Troy Green free throws before Incarnate Word's Keaston Willis answered with two free throws of his own to give UIW the winning margin.  It was the Cardinals' first win against a Division I opponent this year.

Leading scorer Bryson Robinson led the team with 17 points.  Green added 15, and Gerrale Gates registered a double-double with 13 points and 13 boards.

New Orleans will head home but then turn around and head back to Texas for a Wednesday contest at Houston Baptist.

Privateers Into the Win Column

Lamont Berzat

In the last of a three-game homestand, the Privateers (5-10, 1-4) finally got its first conference win of the season, knocking off Central Arkansas 86-78 at Lakefront Arena on Wednesday night.

Shorthanded as usual, the hosts needed contributions from a few unlikely sources and got them, with Lamont Berzat leading six Privateers in double-digits with 18 points.  Jahmel Myers had a very impactful 17 as well, with Gerrale Gates adding 14 and freshman reserve Raquon Brown and senior Troy Green 12 apiece.

New Orleans led by as many as 11 at a couple of different points in the second half but had to hold off a late UCA rally to salvage the win.  With the lead at a precarious 74-72 with just over a minute left, Berzat hit the biggest of his three triples to put UNO back up 5.

UNO will have to finally leave Lakefront Arena and head back on the road, heading to Incarnate Word for a Saturday contest in San Antonio.

SFA Pulls Away From UNO

Bryson Robinson's 31 wasn't
nearly enough against SFA0j

Stephen F. Austin began the second half with a 13-1 run to break open a close game and rout host New Orleans 87-68 at Lakefront Arena.

SFA, who you may have heard beat Duke, led just 34-32 at the break against a shorthanded but spirited Privateer team.  But the layups and easy buckets started to come much easier against UNO, a team increasingly decimated by injuries.  Jaylen Key joined that list during the game, and Ahren Freeman was the latest not to dress out at all.

Bryson Robinson led his depleted crew with 31 points, and Jahmel Myers added 10.

What's left of the Privateers will stay at home and take on Central Arkansas on Wednesday.

Lamar Bests Depleted UNO

Bryson Robinson had
21 for the Privateers

Dressing only nine players with Gerrale Gates out in addition to Damion Rosser, the Privateers (4-9, 0-3) remain winless in the Southland, falling to Lamar 74-67 at Lakefront Arena on Thursday.

UNO trailed by as many as 13 in the first half but cut Lamar's lead to seven at the break and two early in the second half.  But Lamar's strength inside enabled them to fend off several Privateer rally attempts, and Anderson Kopp's devastating three from the left corner put Lamar up 71-65 late and stuck a dagger in the Bucs.

Bryson Robinson gave a tremendous effort to keep New Orleans in the game, scoring 21 points and draining 4-of-8 from downtown.  A hobbled Troy Green added 16.

The Privateers host Stephen F. Austin on Saturday night.  The Lumberjacks scored college basketball's most notable upset of the year when they won at Duke earlier this season.