UNO Beats McNeese, Winning Streak to 8

Senior G Troy Green

McNeese State was the last team to beat UNO eight games ago, but they couldn't do it this time; the Privateers won 84-78 in Lake Charles on Sunday evening.

The Cowboys got off to a fast start, opening up a 28-15 lead early before New Orleans (12-8, 5-0) began chipping away.  Though McNeese led most of the way in the second half, UNO was able to grab the lead late on two Troy Green free throws, then a Green steal plus an and-1 to go up 77-73.

Green posted 22 points, including a sparkling 12-for-12 from the foul line, where the visitors shot 89% as a whole.  Derek St. Hilaire rode a strong second half to a team-leading 23 points of his own, as well as a team best 6 assists.  Tyson Jackson added 14.

The Privateers next head to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for game three of this four-game road trip.

Privateers Win at HBU, Go To 4-0

SR G Derek St. Hilaire

Facing their first road test of the Southland Conference season, the Privateers (11-8, 4-0) fought off a Houston Baptist rally and surged late to knock off the Huskies 77-66.

New Orleans was carried by a dominant performance from Derek St. Hilaire, who scored 21 in the first half without missing a shot.  He finished with 34.

UNO squandered a 12-point second half lead and fell behind 59-57 before a 7-0 spurt put them back in front.  They were able to reestablish control down the stretch and finish the victory.  They allowed HBU to shoot just 34% from the field while forcing 18 turnovers.

Next up is a matchup against McNeese in Lake Charles on Sunday, which will be televised on ESPNU.

Privateers 3-0 After Besting NWST

(Courtesy: UNO
Athletics)

The Privateers completed a sweep of their three-game Southland season opening homestand, knocking off Northwestern State 85-77.

New Orleans opened up a huge early lead, stretching it to as many as 18 before heading to the locker room up 44-31.  But they came back out sluggish, and the Demons chipped away at the lead until they crept to within 53-51.  At that point, though, UNO (10-8, 3-0) went on a 6-0 run to reestablish themselves, and despite a continued NWST push, they could not quite catch up and fell in the end.

Derek St. Hilaire had another tremendous performance, piling on 29 points, and his backcourt mate Troy Green added 16.  Green also continued his early season torrid rebounding pace with another 9 to lead the squad.  Tyson Jackson and Simeon Kirkland had 11 each in the post for UNO, with Jackson adding 8 rebounds of his own.

Now the Privateers must hit the road for four in a row, starting with Thursday night at Houston Baptist.

Privateers Rally, Edge Southeastern

The Privateers gutted out a comeback victory on the lakefront over Southeastern, 78-72 on Thursday night.

UNO (9-8, 2-0) trailed by as many as 14 in the first half and faced a 41-30 halftime deficit.  They immediately began chipping away at the lead in the second half before finally going up 69-68 on a Daniel Sackey layup late.

Derek St. Hilaire led the way for the Privateers with 19 points, including 16 in the second half.  Troy Green contributed with 16, and Sackey had 11 and 4 assists, including a critical late dish to Jahmel Myers for a critical bucket down the stretch.  Simeon Kirkland rounded out the Privateers in double digits with 14.

New Orleans faces Northwestern State, again at home, on Saturday afternoon.

UNO Wins Conference Opener over Nicholls

Derek St. Hilaire takes on
Nicholls' Ty Gordon

In Saturday's Southland Conference opener on the lakefront, the New Orleans Privateers made an early statement, besting conference favorite Nicholls 78-66.

Derek St. Hilaire got the Privateers (8-8, 1-0) off to a good start, notching 14 points in the first half on the way to a 37-32 lead at the break.  Though they got close, Nicholls never grabbed the lead in the second half in the face of a stifling UNO defense.

St. Hilaire ended up with 23 points overall, but Troy Green led the way with a fine effort with 26, draining many crucial free throws down the stretch.  The Colonels shot just 5-for-24 from downtown.

UNO stays home and will take on another Southland rival, Southeastern Louisiana, on Thursday.

Privateers Win Last Pre-SLC Tuneup

Troy Green had 20

Coming off of a 2-1 showing at the Southland Tip-Off Tournament last weekend, the Privateers (7-8) played their final pre-conference tuneup on Tuesday night, besting Dillard 93-66.

New Orleans fought off some early scrappiness from the Bleu Devils, who trailed just 24-22 before UNO ripped off a 7-0 run to establish control.  The Privateers led 46-32 at the break and extended their lead beyond 20 through much of the second half.

Playing without leading scorer Derek St. Hilaire, the rest of the Privateer backcourt picked up the slack.  Troy Green led the way in scoring with 20, Rodney Carson had 17, and Kmani Doughty added 13.  Daniel Sackey was all over the stat sheet, notching 11 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals.  Rodney Carson also had 12, and Tyson Jackson added 12 in the trenches for the Bucs.

Nicholls will head to the lakefront on Saturday to open UNO's Southland Conference season.