SAN ANTONIO – A contest that featured 49 fouls and 57 free throw attempts came down to the wire with the Privateers overcoming a nine-point deficit to attempt a game-tying shot at the buzzer. Unfortunately, New Orleans (5-11, 1-5 Southland) was on the wrong end of a 73-70 ballgame Saturday at the McDermott Center. UIW improved to 4-11 overall and 1-3 in league play with the win.
Not many times this season has a team matched the Privateers at the free throw line as UNO entered leading the league at 78.2 percent as a unit and the nation's leader in
Bryson Robinson. New Orleans went 19-of-23 from the stripe with the Cardinals finishing 28-of-34. It was the most attempts against the Privateers since last year's CIT contest versus Texas Southern.
TIDBITS
FINAL SCORE: New Orleans 70, UIW 73
LOCATION: McDermott Center – San Antonio
RECORDS: New Orleans (5-11, 1-5 Southland), UIW (4-11, 1-3 Southland)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UIW went on an 8-0 run to take a 41-33 lead before Robinson ended the streak with his first field goal (17:21 second half).
- The Cardinals took their largest lead of the game – nine – with just over 11 minutes remaining in regulation.
- Robinson scored five unanswered to cut the deficit to one with 5:34 left to play. Moments later, he sank a contested three to follow Keaston Willis' trey.
- The last field goal occurred at the 3:19 mark (UIW).
- Three student-athletes reached double figures with Robinson leading the way (17 points).
- Gerrale Gates posted his second double-double of the season with 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds and Troy Green added 15 points.
- Fifteen of Robinson's and 11 of Green's points came in the second half
OPPOSITION
- UIW went 11-of-11 from the free throw line in the opening stanza.
- The Cardinals went 0-of-9 from three-point range in the first.
- Marcus Larsson and Drew Lutz combined for 22 points in half No. 1.
- Larsson led all scorers with 19 points, nine from the line, followed by Keaston Willis' 18 (16 in second) and Lutz' 17.
NOTEWORTHY
- Gates posted eight points and six rebounds in the first half, and Ahren Freeman came off the bench with six points, three rebounds and three assists.
- Much like the Cardinals in the opening half, the Privateers were perfect at the line (5-of-5) but went 0-of-7 from deep.
- UNO's second unit outscored UIW's 11-to-2 in the first,
- After beginning 0-for from long distance, the Privateers hit 5-of-6 from deep to make it a one-possession game with two minutes remaining.
- The Privateers outscored the Cardinals in the second half by one.
- UIW scored 21 fast break points to UNO's eight.
NEXT UP
The Privateers close out the brief road trip with a visit to Sharp Gym to take on HBU Wednesday at 7 p.m., followed by a home contest versus McNeese Saturday at 6 p.m.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow
@PrivateersMBB on Twitter,
@PrivateersMBB on Instagram, like
/PrivateersMBB on Facebook and subscribe to the
UNOPrivateers YouTube channel.
