Privateers Win Ugly at HBU

Thibodeaux's double-double
helped UNO to a win at HBU

It was an ugly basketball game, but all wins count the same, and the Privateers (5-8, 2-0) scored their first road victory of the season Saturday night at Houston Baptist, 64-57.

Led again by senior Travin Thibodeaux, whose double double of 18 points and 10 rebounds paced the team, New Orleans rallied from 5 down at the 7-minute mark to take control late. The Bucs finished the game on a 17-5 run.

Each team had significant turnover issues, with HBU committing 21 and UNO 20.  The Huskies also shot a putrid 8-for-18 from the free throw line.

Scott Plaisance came off the bench for New Orleans to score in double digits with 10, and Makur Puou had 9 points and 9 boards.

Houston Baptist, playing without its best player in Josh Ibarra, was led by Jalon Gates with 20 points.

UNO returns home after New Year's on Wednesday, January 3, to take on former coach Tic Price, former player Colton Weisbrod, and the Lamar Cardinals.

Second Half Surge Lifts UNO

Puou gave UNO a
second half spark

The Privateers (4-8, 1-0), opening Southland Conference play at home, fought off a late Abilene Christian rally and won a 77-74 victory.

New Orleans, which trailed by as many as 10 in the first half and found itself down 36-34 at the break, went on a Makur Puou-led 14-2 run early in the second half to take a 48-41 lead.  The game went back and forth, with ACU's Tevin Foster draining two free throws to give the Wildcats a 74-73.

Travin Thibodeaux answered those with two foul shots of his own to give UNO the lead back, and a Puou slam completed a fast break to extend the lead to the final margin.

Thibodeaux once again led the scoring for New Orleans with 20. Puou had an extremely strong second stanza in adding 16. Troy Green also notched 14.

UNO hits the road on Saturday for its first away conference game, playing at Houston Baptist.

Rally Falls Short at UAB

Freshman G Damion Rosser

Down 19 points in the second half, the Privateers (3-8) rallied to within two with under two minutes left before falling 74-67 at Alabama Birmingham.

New Orleans, which trailed 45-30 at the half, fell even further behind before beginning a rally that culminated in two Ezekiel Charles free throws to bring UNO within 69-67. Unfortunately, those were the last Privateer points of the night.

Freshman Damion Rosser led UNO in scoring for the second time this year with 13 points. Travin Thibodeaux and Ezekiel Charles added 12. Charles continued to establish himself as a threat from deep, nailing three triples.

The non-conference slate is over. New Orleans begins conference play in eight days with a home contest against Abilene Christian on December 28.

Official box score

Privateers Cruise at Home

Thibodeaux again led UNO
in scoring with 22 points

The Privateers (3-7) were never challenged at Lakefront Arena on Monday night, easily wiping out NAIA Oklahoma Pandhandle State, 107-59.

UNO scored the last 10 points of the first half to head to the locker room leading 53-27.  From then on, it was just a matter of getting to 100, which they did at the 2:49 mark on a Scott Plaisance free throw.

OPSU went with some
interesting shorts

Travin Thibodeaux once again paced New Orleans in scoring with 22.  Michael Zeno and Ezekiel Charles added 11, and Diontae Champion and Plaisance had 10.

7'3" Bol Riek, playing in just his third game, had 4 blocks off the bench.

The Privateers will head to UAB on Wednesday for their third game in five days as they take on the Blazers in their final non-conference contest of the season.

ULL Blasts UNO at Cajundome

Thibodeaux led UNO with 23 points

It used to be Lakefront Arena West, but it's been almost 20 years since the Privateers (2-7) have won at the Cajundome.  That didn't change tonight, as New Orleans fell 87-65 to Louisiana Lafayette in a non-conference contest.

UNO was led by Travin Thibodeaux's 23 points, but Diontae Champion was the only other Privateer in double digits with 11.  The Bucs trailed just 42-35 at the half, but they couldn't make inroads early in the second half, and the game got away from them as it progressed.

The Cajuns were led by Jakeenan Gant's 21 points and 11 rebounds.  ULL shot 55% from the field, 52% from beyond the arc and 80% from the free throw line.

New Orleans returns home for a 7 p.m. tip on Monday night against Oklahoma Panhandle State.

SMU Fights Off Privateers

Robinson led UNO with 16 points

The SMU Mustangs are a lifetime 57-3 in Moody Coliseum, but for a while at least, the Privateers (2-6) gave them a run for their money before falling 79-66 on Wednesday night.

New Orleans, which trailed 44-34 at halftime, had the deficit down to 61-56 at the under-12 timeout before the Mustangs stepped up their defensive pressure and the Bucs' scoring pace slowed considerably.

UNO got a rare spark from long distance, as Bryson Robinson drained four threes and Ezekiel Charles three.  SMU, though, one-upped them in this department, connecting on 11 shots from downtown (11-for-22).

Robinson led the Privateers with 16 points in addition to 6 rebounds and 5 assists.  Travin Thibodeaux had 15, and Charles added 14, all in the second half.

UNO will head to the Cajundome on Saturday night to take on former Sun Belt rival Louisiana-Lafayette.

Discussion forum game thread

UNO Wins Rout over Williams Baptist

Damion Rosser had a
career-high 19 points

The Privateers (2-5) got a break from the difficult early road schedule, hammering Williams Baptist 87-70 at Lakefront Arena on Saturday afternoon.

Led by freshman Damion Rosser's 19 points, New Orleans was never threatened, taking a 48-24 lead into the locker room and cruising to victory.  Williams Baptist hit several late threes to make the score look closer than it was.

Freshman in double figures for UNO also included Lamont Berzat and Troy Green with 11 each.  Senior Makur Puou added 10 along with 9 boards.  Diontae Champion led the Bucs with 10 rebounds.

Next up for UNO is an 11-day layoff followed by a road contest at SMU.

Privateers Fall at Houston, 75-66

Senior Travin Thibodeaux

The young Privateer men's basketball team is still learning how to win, and it continues to be a painful process early in the season. New Orleans was competitive on the road again, but ultimately fell 75-66 to the host Houston Cougars.

Turnovers were an issue again for the visitors, as UNO shot 57% but only launched 47 shots. Travin Thibodeaux led the way with 19 points, and freshman Troy Green added 16 to go along with 8 rebounds and 6 assists in a breakout performance.

New Orleans trailed 38-31 at the half but fought their way into a 48-48 tie on a Thibodeaux bucket just under the 10-minute mark. But the Cougars drained four threes over the next five minutes as part of a 12-0 run to go back ahead for good.

The Privateers (1-5) get a break this Saturday as they return home to Lakefront Arena to take on Williams Baptist at 2 p.m.

Discussion forum game thread

Privateer Rally Falls Short in Mobile

Freshman Lamont Berzat tied
for the UNO assist lead with 5

After rallying from a 34-23 halftime deficit to take the lead in Mobile against South Alabama, the Jaguars' Rodrick Sikes hit a deep straight-on three with 16 seconds left to put USA back in front for good. The Jags won, 55-52.

New Orleans began the second half on a 22-3 run to take an eight-point lead, which was answered by a quick 9-0 run by South Alabama to regain the lead.  The game then went back and forth until the end.

Lamont Berzat, who barely played in the first half, sparked the rally in the second half with 5 assists. Travin Thibodeaux led UNO in scoring with 14. Troy Green added 11 and Bryson Robinson 10. Michael Zeno led the team with 10 rebounds and tied Berzat's 5 assists.

The Privateers (1-4) will get another try at their first road win when they visit Houston on Wednesday night.

Discussion forum game thread

UNO Edges Spring Hill, Gets First Win

Senior Michael Zeno

It was way too close for comfort, but the Privateers (1-3) edged Division II Spring Hill 74-67 at Lakefront Arena on Friday afternoon for the first win of the season.

New Orleans led by as much as 22 in the first half, settling in to a 40-20 halftime lead.  But the lead slowly eroded over the course of the second half, with UNO leading only 65-59 just after the final media break. The Bucs were unable to establish much offensive rhythm despite shooting over 50% as a team.

Travin Thibodeaux paced the Privateers with 13 points and 5 assists, and Michael Zeno added 12.

The difference was largely at the free throw line, with New Orleans draining 28 of 39 and the visiting Badgers just 9-for-13.

UNO heads back on the road next, facing South Alabama in Mobile on Sunday.

UNO Falls at Memphis, Starts 0-3

Senior Makur Puou

An 0-3 start for the Privateers wasn't unexpected, but New Orleans finished its season-opening three-game road trip in disappointing fashion. They never seriously challenged a weak Memphis squad, falling 63-52 at FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.

UNO was never really in the game thanks to a 26% shooting performance in the first half en route to a 32-16 deficit at the break. The Privateers fought back to within single digits in the final minute, but the outcome was never seriously in doubt.

Senior Makur Puou led the team in points and rebounds with an 11 and 9 effort.

New Orleans will open its home schedule on Friday afternoon at Lakefront Arena against Division II Spring Hill.

Official box score
Discussion forum game thread

Privateers Routed at Oakland

Thibodeaux led UNO
in scoring for the
second straight game

At least the Privateers didn't get their hopes up.

Any shot of a New Orleans victory was squelched very early on at Oakland on Monday night, as they were swarmed over by a Golden Grizzly blitz of three pointers on their way to a 37-12 deficit before they could blink. The hosts drained their first six threes and eight of their first 10 to put this one away early.

UNO (0-2) fought gamely from that point on, cutting the deficit back into the mid teens in the second half, but never seriously threatened. The Privateers got solid contributions from their post players, with Travin Thibodeaux and Makur Puou pacing the scoring at 20 and 18 points, respectively.

Freshman Troy Green contributed nicely off the bench with 11 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds.

New Orleans gets eight days off before resuming the season-opening road trip at Memphis next Tuesday night.

Discussion forum game thread

Turnovers Doom UNO in Big Apple

The Privateers (0-1) began their 2017-18 campaign in New York City Friday night, falling to Coach Chris Mullin and St. John's, 77-61.

Senior Travin Thibodeaux

New Orleans hampered its own effort with poor ball handling, committing 21 team turnovers.

Despite not starting, senior Travin Thibodeaux led New Orleans in points with 18 and rebounds with 7.  Jorge Rosa was the only other Privateer who scored in double digits with 10. Newcomer Ezekiel Charles drilled a three to cut the St. John's lead to 30-28 in the first half, but the Red Storm finished the frame on a 7-0 run, and UNO never got that close again.

New Orleans travels to Oakland of the Horizon League for an ESPN3 contest on Monday night.

Official box score

Discussion forum game thread

UNO Wins Sluggish Exhibition

Zeno hits a jump shot

The defending Southland Conference champion Privateers took the floor with a number of new players on Wednesday night, getting their feet wet while beating Division III Huntingdon College, 94-71.

It was the returnees, though, that did most of the scoring, with Michael Zeno leading the way with 18 points. Travin Thibodeaux added 17, and Jorge Rosa 13.  Makur Puou had 9 points and 9 rebounds.  JUCO transfer Ezekiel Charles and freshman Lamont Berzat led the newbies with 9 points.

5'6" freshman Berzat
scores on a breakaway

New Orleans led 50-37 at the break.

The regular season opener comes in 16 days in New York City against St. John's.

Sugar Land Bound: UNO Sweeps NWST

Veillon homered three times on Friday

Needing a road sweep to realistically have a shot at qualifying for the Southland Conference baseball tournament next week in Sugar Land, Texas, the Privateers (28-26-1, 16-14) came through, taking all three games at Northwestern State.

Coupled with Nicholls dropping two of three at Central Arkansas, New Orleans will participate in the tournament next week.  Their seed is still to be determined.

After riding a solid pitching performance from Shawn Semple to take Thursday's game by an 8-1 count, UNO got a similar effort from Bryan Warzek in Friday's game 1 to win 12-2.  The Bucs were only threatened in game 2 on Friday, clinging to a 4-3 lead in the ninth before Orynn Veillon homered for the third time in the series to give UNO its eventual 6-3 cushion.

The Southland Conference tournament begins on Wednesday, with games beginning at 9 a.m.  The entire tournament will be carried on ESPN3.

Nicholls Takes 2 of 3

With one week remaining in the Southland Conference baseball regular season, the Privateers (25-25-1, 13-14) are on the outside looking in.

With the top eight teams qualifying for the league tournament, New Orleans sits at ninth, having just lost two of three to Nicholls, who has moved just ahead of them in the standings and now owns the tiebreaker.

Veillon had a double and two
triples in Friday night's win

On Friday night, UNO rode another strong outing from Shawn Semple and three extra-base hits from Orynn Veillon to a 6-2 victory in Thibodaux.  With a tenuous Sunday pitching situation, the Privateers needed to secure their final home game of the season on Saturday, but the Colonels' Mike Hanchar threw a complete game shutout, overcoming Bryan Warzek's typical strong outing in a 3-0 decision.

Coming into the final game of the series only 1-7 in Sunday conference games, New Orleans battled all the way back from a 7-1 eighth inning deficit, notching three in the eighth and three in the ninth to tie. But Jarred Taylor's wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth allowed the winning run to score.

UNO will travel to Northwestern State (20-30, 10-17) needing wins and help in order to qualify for the conference tournament.  First, they will travel to Tulane on Tuesday night for the final non-conference game of the season.

UNO wins 2 of 3 from Houston Baptist

Two Hezbombs this weekend

Once again, the Privateers (24-23-1, 12-12) were able to ride strong pitching efforts from Shawn Semple and Bryan Warzek on Friday and Saturday, only to come up short on Sunday for a two-out-of-three series win.

This time, it was the offense that fell short on Sunday, as New Orleans could not capitalize on Riley Hodge's best effort of the season in a 4-1 loss.  Hodge surrendered just one run in 6 2/3 innings.

However, on Friday, Shawn Semple fell one out short of a complete game shutout but did throw 149 pitches to complete a brilliant outing, striking out 15 in a 3-1 triumph. Hezekiah Randolph homered to lead the offense.

Warzek followed Semple's sparkling
Friday start with another gem on Saturday

On Saturday, Bryan Warzek went eight quality innings in an 8-3 Privateer win, bolstered by Randolph again blasting a homer, this time a three-run shot over the left field wall.  Randolph is now tied with Orynn Veillon and Tristan Clarke for the team lead with 9.

New Orleans next faces Nicholls in Thibodaux on Friday and Sunday, and will play the Colonels on Saturday night at 6 p.m. in their Maestri Field finale. UNO is in a dogfight with Nicholls, among others, for the seventh and eighth spots in the upcoming Southland Conference tournament.  Only the top eight qualify.

UNO Wins Just 3 on Lengthy Road Trip

After blowing a ninth-inning lead at Maestri Field on April 11 to South Alabama, the Privateers set out to jump-start their season on an 11-game road trip, but won just three of those games away from home.

Veillon's five homers on the
road trip led New Orleans

It was a challenging trip beginning with three-game swings at conference leader McNeese State, then a three-game non-conference tilt at Texas.  New Orleans was unable to salvage any of those games, blowing a 6-0 lead at McNeese and dropping two one-run contests to the Longhorns along the way.

After poor weather forced a midweek tie at Jackson State in another game UNO led late, the Bucs secured wins on Friday and Saturday at Incarnate Word before their pitching broke down again on Sunday in a 10-9 slugfest loss after leading 8-3.  Finally, New Orleans drubbed Grambling 10-1 on Tuesday night in a neutral site game in Biloxi.

Orynn Veillon led UNO's offensive effort with five homers on the road trip.  The Privateers (22-22-1, 10-11) sit in eighth place in the Southland and return home this Friday night for a critical series against third-place Houston Baptist.

Privateer Heat: UNO Wins Series over Lamar

Bryan Warzek gets congrats after
Saturday's complete game shutout

There is a significant drop off between the top two Privateer starters and the rest, and it was not more clearly evident than this weekend. Shawn Semple and Bryan Warzek engineered two shutouts on Friday and Saturday, but New Orleans fell behind big early and never recovered in a blowout loss on Sunday.

Semple's eight shutout innings (nine strikeouts) plus Reeves Martin's spotless inning of relief was enough for UNO to eke out a 2-0 win on Friday night.  Sam Capielano delivered an RBI triple in the third inning to provide the first run, and as it turned out, the only run UNO would need.

On Saturday, Bryan Warzek tossed a complete game shutout, surrendering just five hits on the afternoon.  Ninth-place hitter Orynn Veillon supplied plenty of offense as well, blasting a three-run homer in the second inning as well as a double later on, and the Privateers won 6-0.

On Sunday, New Orleans coach Blake Dean gave freshman Christopher DeMayo a shot at the Sunday starting role, but DeMayo lasted just two innings while surrendering four runs, and UNO went on to a 9-1 loss.

Next up, the Bucs (19-14, 8-7) will play their last home game before an 11-game road trip, hosting South Alabama on Tuesday night.

Privateers Top Tulane in Midweek Contest

In a tuneup preceding a home conference series over the weekend, New Orleans (17-13), powered by a seven-run fourth inning, bested crosstown rival Tulane 9-5 at Maestri Field.

After surrendering two runs to the Wave in the top of the fourth, the Privateers tied the game in the bottom of the frame, then went ahead on a three-run blast by increasingly important sub Chase Crump, tonight's DH.  Later in the inning, Aaron Palmer's two-run single put UNO up 7-2, and the home team held off a Tulane semi-rally to prevail.

In what will be the last home weekend for New Orleans until Houston Baptist visits from May 5-7, the Privateers will host the Lamar Cardinals, who come to Maestri Field with a 4-7 mark in the Southland Conference.

Discuss on the forum

Privateers Take 2 of 3 from Islanders

John Cable's grand slam helped
UNO to a Friday night victory

After an 8-4 midweek setback to Southern Mississippi, New Orleans (16-13, 6-6) took two out of three in a Southland Conference series against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi over the weekend at Maestri Field.

On Friday, catcher John Cable smashed a grand slam to give UNO an early lead, and it held up behind 6 2/3 innings of solid pitching from Shawn Semple in a 10-3 win.

In the first game of a Saturday doubleheader due to impending Sunday weather, the Privateers got a three-run Hezbomb en route to an 8-2 lead, gave up seven unanswered runs, tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, and won it in the tenth on a bases-loaded walk issued to Chase Crump, 10-9.

In game two, TAMU-CC touched up UNO starter Rafael Martinez and surged to a five-run first inning.  It turned out to be all they needed, as the Islanders cruised to an 8-4 victory in the series finale.

New Orleans finally has its first meeting with Tulane on Tuesday night at Maestri Field.

Frustration at UCA as Privateers Drop 2 of 3

Clarke had three homers in
the series, but UNO lost twice

After dropping a pair of midweek contests, the Privateers headed to Conway to take on a Central Arkansas team that entered the weekend 1-5 in conference play. Unfortunately for them, the Bears continued their frustration by snagging two out of three games, including a four-run ninth inning comeback on Friday and a mercy rule game on Sunday.

On Friday, New Orleans got a homer from Tristan Clarke as well as three hits and two doubles from Dakota Dean to build a 5-2 lead, only to surrender four runs in the bottom of the ninth in a 6-5 defeat.

On Saturday, Clarke homered twice more, and UNO got a workmanlike start from Bryan Warzek and a quality 3 1/3 relief innings from Reeves Martin in a comfortable 11-4 win.

On Sunday, the Privateers (14-11, 4-5), still searching for a Sunday starter, saw their pitching staff battered in a 10-0, mercy-rule-shortened loss.

New Orleans will continue its road trip on Wednesday at Southern Mississippi.

Privateers Drop Two Midweek Contests

New Orleans' struggle in midweek contests against teams not named LSU continued this week, as they dropped a Tuesday contest at Missouri State by a 7-2 score and a Wednesday game at Arkansas, 5-2.

The Privateers (13-9) remain in the region for a weekend Southland Conference series at Central Arkansas beginning on Friday.

Back on Track: UNO Sweeps Abilene

After a miserable opening Southland weekend, New Orleans (13-7, 3-3) bounced back by sweeping Abilene Christian at Maestri Field after besting LSU for a second time on Wednesday night.

On Friday, UNO's Shawn Semple recovered from a rough start to throw a solid outing, as his offense gave him the support for an 8-6 victory over Abilene Christian.

Veillon went 7-for-12 in the series

Orynn Veillon led a balanced offensive attack for New Orleans, going 2-for-3 with a double and two stolen bases.  Owen Magee and Jay Robinson also had two hits each, and also had 2 RBI each.  And after surrendering four runs in the second, Semple threw five more innings, all goose eggs, for a seven-inning, 10-strikeout performance.

On Saturday, UNO used another solid seven-inning pitching effort from Bryan Warzek on their way to a 12-6 victory over the Wildcats.  Veillon again was a factor, smashing three hits, including two doubles, with 2 RBI to lead the way. Jay Robinson also contributed three hits, and Dakota Dean had a single, a triple, and a walk.

On Sunday, New Orleans fell behind 7-0 early, and still trailing 8-3 heading to the bottom of the seventh, the Privateers posted a six-spot culminating in a game-tying bases-clearing double by Owen Magee, then a go-ahead sacrifice fly by Chase Crump to give UNO the eventual 9-8 winning margin.  After hurlers Riley Hodge and Rafael Martinez got touched up early, quality bullpen work by Connor Kaucic, Matt Gillis, and William Griffin enabled the comeback.

UNO Beats LSU in 15 Innings For Sweep

Magee's two hits drove in runs
in the 11th and 15th innings

In the UNO athletics community, it's been a week full of "first time since 1990-something" statements, and the baseball team was apparently feeling left out.

So, in a 15-inning marathon that included 14 1/3 innings of bullpen work, the Privateers (10-7) snapped a four-game losing streak by sweeping LSU for the first time since 1997, winning 7-4 in Baton Rouge.

After breaking through with a run in the 11th via an Owen Magee RBI double and having it answered by the Tigers in the bottom of the frame, the Privateers put up a three-spot in the 15th via a John Cable RBI groundout plus an error on the throw home, another Magee single, and a bases-loaded walk to finally finish LSU off.

After starting pitcher Christopher DeMayo surrendered a three-run bomb in the bottom of the first to Jake Slaughter and was lifted, UNO got 14 1/3 innings of one-run baseball from relievers Reeves Martin, Matthew Gillis, William Griffin, Jarred Taylor, Connor Kaucic, and John Michael Stevens, who finished the game with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless, walkless baseball.

The Privateers return home to Maestri Field hoping to recover from the opening weekend sweep at the hands of Southeastern Louisiana, hosting Abilene Christian for a three-game series.

Mount St. Mary's Eliminates UNO

It was an excellent basketball game to kick off the 2017 NCAA Tournament, but the result was disappointment for the New Orleans Privateers, who fell 67-66 to Mount St. Mary's.

The conventional wisdom was that UNO needed to control the glass and limit turnovers in order to gain a victory in its First Four game against the Mountaineers.  The Privateers won the boards 31-22, committed fewer turnovers, and had more steals than its Northeast Conference opponent, and yet a blistering 10-for-19 three-point shooting night from MSMU was just barely enough to sneak them past New Orleans.  Comparatively, UNO was 1-for-9 from beyond the arc.

Erik Thomas, the Southland Player of the Year, carried UNO through a rough first half, keeping them within striking distance by scoring 12 of their 29 points. However, he was scoreless in the second half, as Nate Frye kept New Orleans close down the stretch. He led the Privateers for the night with 18 points.

UNO concludes its memorable season with a 20-12 record, as Mount St. Mary's moves on to challenge defending national champion Villanova on Thursday night.

PI Podcast #26: NCAA Tournament Preview

In this edition of the Privateer Island podcast, we discuss everything lilacs, including growth tips and one incredibly hot take on pruning strategies.

No, just kidding, it's all about the Southland tournament and UNO winning it and the whole first-NCAA-berth-in-21-years thing, with a look at first round opponent Mount St. Mary's and the potential next matchup against (gulp) defending national champion Villanova and beyond.  We don't even mention lilacs once, actually.

To listen, go to our Podcast page or get the direct download here.

UNO vs. Mount St. Mary's

VS.

NCAA Tournament, Dayton, Ohio
Tuesday, March 14, 5:40 p.m. CST

Lions Sweep UNO on First Conference Weekend

On Friday night at Maestri Field, Southeastern Louisiana's Mac Sceroler shut down the Privateers (9-5, 0-1) over eight innings, striking out 11 in an 8-0 Lions victory.  New Orleans failed to score for the second consecutive game.

On Saturday in Hammond, Taylor Schwaner blasted two three-run homers to lead UNO to an 8-3... wait, to lead Southeastern to an 8-3 victory against UNO?  Taylor Schwaner.  Hm.

On Sunday, the Lions completed the sweep on Sunday with a 4-2 win back at Maestri Field.  The Privateer offense was again stifled, completing a week in which they scored just five runs on 21 hits in four games.

Privateers Win SLC Tourney, NCAA Bid

Christavious Gill was 1 year old when Tyrone Garris' teardrop fell at Barton Coliseum to send UNO to the 1996 NCAA Tournament.

After 21 years, six coaches, three NCAA divisions, and countless maliciously incompetent administrators that seemed intent on blocking their path, Gill assisted a second half resurgence that put the 2017 Privateers back in the dance for the first time since that amazing night in Little Rock.  New Orleans defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in overtime, 68-65.

Down 32-23 with seconds left, Nate Frye raced upcourt and swished a three that beat the halftime buzzer for UNO's first trey of the night after a miserable shooting first half.  The Privateers continued to chip away in the second half, taking a 44-42 lead on a steal and layup by Gill.  The grind-it-out battle continued the rest of the night, with TAMU-CC's Cole Martinez missing a three that would have won the game near the buzzer of regulation.

Tevin Broyles, also a huge factor in that second half run, led UNO with 15 points.  Erik Thomas had 14, and Gill had 10, all after halftime.

UNO gets their NCAA Tournament assignment tomorrow afternoon.  A bid party will be held on campus at The Cove beginning at 4 p.m.

VIDEO OF THE END GAME/POSTGAME CELEBRATION:

NET CUTTING VIDEO:

One Win Away: UNO Wins Semifinal

Gill had three triples in
Friday night's semifinal

The Privateers (19-11) finally beat Sam Houston State, and it came at a great time: in the conference tournament in Katy, Texas.

The 75-63 victory sends New Orleans into the championship game of the tournament, which will determine the Southland's participant in the NCAA Tournament.  It will be played Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2.  Friday's victory was the first time UNO has beaten Sam Houston since it joined the conference in 2013.

Erik Thomas, the conference Player of the Year, struggled from the field, shooting 4-for-11, but also hit all 10 of his free throw attempts for an 18-point night.  Christavious Gill added 15, including three three-pointers.

New Orleans will meet Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in tomorrow's championship game. The Islanders defeated Stephen F. Austin 77-69 in the other semifinal matchup.

Braley Does Everything in USM's 6-0 Win

Southern Miss' Taylor Braley entered Wednesday night's start against New Orleans with a 7.50 ERA, but you could have fooled the Privateers.

Actually, he did fool the Privateers all night, striking out 11 and allowing just two hits over 7 1/3 innings of shutout baseball. In addition, he batted cleanup and smacked three hits, including a double, for 3 RBI.  In between innings, he probably sold nachos and eliminated the national debt or something.  It all came together for a 6-0 Golden Eagle victory.

For New Orleans, Hezekiah Randolph did walk, which means he's gotten on base in all 13 games this season. Christopher DeMayo, a freshman southpaw, put together a solid, workmanlike six-inning start, surrendering just two runs, but was outdueled by Braley.

UNO begins conference play on Friday night at Maestri Field, the start of a three-game split series against Southeastern Louisiana.  Saturday's game will be in Hammond, and the teams will return to New Orleans on Sunday for the finale.

PI Podcast #25: SLC Tournament Preview

The Privateer Island podcast returns with a Southland Conference basketball tournament preview.

UNO's special 2016-17 title run, the upcoming league tournament, and college basketball tournaments in general are discussed.  Near the end, the conversation touches on the early fortunes of the Privateer baseball team.

To listen, go to our Podcast page or get the direct download here.

Clarke Dominates Alcorn in 3-Game Sweep

Tristan Clarke dominated
the Braves over the weekend

Alcorn State has seen just about enough of UNO's Tristan Clarke.

The junior outfielder went 9-for-12 over the course of this weekend's three-game series at Maestri Field, including two homers as well as two doubles and a triple.  New Orleans got a host of other quality offensive performances, particularly in Friday's 10-0 win and Saturday's 14-0 triumph.

Martin's four innings of quality
relief helped UNO rally on Sunday

On Sunday, UNO finished a rally from 4-0 down when Sam Capielano poked a single to left past a drawn-in infield in the bottom of the ninth to give the Privateers a 7-6 win. It was Capielano's third hit on the day.

On the hill, Friday starter Bryan Warzek and Saturday starter Shawn Semple each pitched six shutout innings.  On Sunday, starter Rafael Martinez got roughed up, but a fine effort from the bullpen, including Reeves Martin's four scoreless innings to close it out, saved the day.

The Privateers (9-3) next host Southern Miss on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

UNO Snags Outright SLC Title

Stopher Gym has been a house of horrors for the New Orleans Privateers over the years, but needing one win for an outright regular season Southland Conference title, UNO gutted out a 74-64 win over Nicholls on Saturday afternoon.

Erik Thomas, as has been the case so often in this special season, led the way for the Privateers with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. Fellow senior Christavious Gill added 14, and senior Tevin Broyles had 12.

New Orleans led 35-27 at the half and extended the lead to 13 early in the second half, but Nicholls fought back to cut the lead to 2. The Bucs extended the lead back to 10, then Nicholls cut it to 3.  Finally, they were able to clamp down late, hit some key free throws, and fight the Colonels off for good.

With the win, the Privateers (18-11, 13-5) secure the #1 seed in the Southland tournament next week in Katy. They secure the league's automatic NIT bid should they not win in Katy. It is the first outright league title for UNO since they went 18-0 in 1993, and it will be its first postseason appearance since 1997.

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SLU Shocks UNO

Junior Makur Puou

Trying to secure a double bye in the upcoming Southland Conference tournament, the Privateers (17-11, 12-5) surrendered three three-pointers in the last minute and a half, falling to Southeastern Louisiana, 63-58.

New Orleans, which struggled to handle the intense Lion press from the get-go, blew 47-36 and 58-52 second half leads because they were unable to stop turning the ball over in their own backcourt.  Marlain Veal engineered the comeback, leading the Lions with 23 points.

Makur Puou led the Bucs with 13 points.

USA Walks Away With a Win

OF Tristan Clarke

The Privateer offense got back on track with a solid effort on Tuesday night in Mobile, but a barrage of wildness from the UNO pitching staff was too much to overcome in a 10-7 defeat at the hands of South Alabama.

New Orleans pitchers issued 11 walks, six wild pitches, and two hit batsmen, enabling the host Jaguars to outscore their offense.

Tristan Clarke knocked in three runs to lead the Privateers (6-3), and Sam Capielano contributed three hits as well.

UNO returns home for a weekend series against Alcorn State starting on Friday.

Frustrating 10th Inning Dooms UNO

Cable was a bright spot
in Sunday's loss

For the second consecutive day, New Orleans and Troy went to extra innings at Maestri Field. But on Sunday, the outcome wasn't as happy for the Privateers (6-2), who fell 4-3.

In the top of the tenth, two tough plays that could have been made but weren't -- a screaming liner off the glove of second baseman Sam Capielano and a sinking liner off the glove off left fielder Dakota Dean -- opened the door just enough for Troy to take a 4-3 lead.

In the bottom of the frame, the Privateers got back-to-back walks to put runners on first and second with nobody out for Tristan Clarke. But Clarke, after getting ahead 2-0 and 3-2, flew out. Hezekiah Randolph grounded to the pitcher, and after an intentional walk to John Cable, pinch hitter Jay Robinson struck out looking.

Cable had a tremendous day for a Privateer offense that was otherwise held in check in consecutive games by the Troy pitching staff. Cable went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple.

Setback: Demons Beat UNO

The Privateers, trying to close out a regular season Southland title, dropped a back-and-forth contest at Northwestern State on Saturday afternoon, 83-82.

The Demons, in 12th place in the league to start the day, benefited from the return of injured star Zeek Woodley, who burned New Orleans for 28 points, including the game winner with 4.3 seconds left. UNO (17-10, 12-4) appeared sluggish and displayed none of the defensive intensity that got them an emotional blowout win over Stephen F. Austin earlier in the week.

Erik Thomas led the Privateer effort with 23 points.

UNO Wins... Pitcher's Duel? Really?

Bryan Warzek, and later Rafael
Martinez, kept UNO in a pitcher's duel

Yep, they did.

A day after what appeared to be a typical 2017 outing -- a slugfest, and in this case a 12-9 loss to Troy -- the Privateers (6-1) held the Trojans offense in check even as their own hitters uncharacteristically struggled. But in the end, a Dakota Phillips grounder through the legs of Troy second baseman Brandon Lockridge sent UNO home a 3-2 winner in 13 innings.

Bryan Warzek provided New Orleans with a much-needed quality start, throwing six innings and surrendering just two runs. The bullpen was also effective, led by Rafael Martinez's sparkling 4 1/3 innings of shutout ball to finish the game.  Martinez has yet to walk a batter in his 9 1/3 innings thus far this season.

UNO and Troy will play the rubber match tomorrow at noon at Maestri Field.

Troy Deals UNO First Loss

3B Owen Magee

Baseball teams don't go undefeated, and Friday night saw the Privateers (5-1) finally unable to outslug someone, falling to Troy 12-9 at Maestri Field.

With Shawn Semple sitting out this series with a concussion, Riley Hodge got the Friday start and was promptly knocked out of the game in the third inning, unable to hold an early 6-2 New Orleans lead.  Relief pitching was just as spotty for the home team, and the Bucs couldn't hold Troy down long enough for its potent lineup to make a comeback.

It was, however, another sparkling outing for the offense, led by third baseman Owen Magee's two home runs. Tristan Clarke also homered for the third consecutive game.

Game two against Troy will begin tomorrow at noon at Maestri Field.

Swarming Privateers Blitz SFA

Nate Frye had 16 in the
first half against SFA

In a game pitting first-place New Orleans against second-place Stephen F. Austin with huge implications for the regular season title, the Privateers (17-9, 12-3) absolutely dominated from the jump and unleashed a 82-65 destruction on the Lumberjacks at Lakefront Arena.

Erik Thomas and Nate Frye had 18 each to lead UNO, and Frye fueled the Privateers' clinic of a first half, notching 16 points to lead the home team to a stunning 41-21 lead at the break.  New Orleans forced 13 turnovers in that half with an intense, stifling defense, including 8 steals.  Frye led the way for the game with 4 steals.

The Bucs scored the first 10 points of the second half to effectively seal the game, leading by as many as 32 before the game got ragged and the Jacks cut into the lead late.

The win gives UNO a two-game lead in the Southland regular season race with three games to play. They will head to Northwestern State to face the Demons on Saturday.

UNO Overwhelms Jackson State, 16-2

Hezekiah Randolph notched his
first homer of the 2017 season

A night after making local headlines with an upset over a top 5 LSU team, the Privateers (5-0) remained undefeated by hammering Jackson State by a 16-2 score at Maestri Field.

Tristan Clarke, who had his first homer of the season last night, added another opposite field dinger tonight to go along with homers from Hezekiah Randolph, Aaron Palmer, and Jared McKay.  Sam Capielano and Dakota Phillips had three hits each.

New Orleans completes its season opening eight-game homestand with a three-game set against Troy over the weekend.  Make note of the odd start times, with Friday's first pitch at 5:30 p.m. and noon starts on Saturday and Sunday.

Privateers Outslug LSU, 11-8

Tristan Clarke blasted his first
Division I homer against LSU

The Privateers remained undefeated in the early season after passing their stiffest test, collecting 11 runs on 14 hits and outscoring the #4 LSU Tigers 11-8 at Maestri Field.

Center fielder Orynn Veillon led the offensive charge with a 3-for-5 night, smashing two doubles and collecting two RBI.  After a six-run UNO fifth gave them a 7-6 lead, much-hyped newcomer Tristan Clarke hit his first Division I homer in the sixth to put the Bucs ahead 8-6.  They collected three more in that frame and never relinquished their lead.

On the hill, William Griffin pitched four innings of quality relief, surrendering just two runs (one earned) while the Privateer offense was making hay.

New Orleans (4-0) gets right back on the field at the Maes tomorrow night against Jackson State.

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