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.