BEAUMONT, Tx. – The New Orleans men’s basketball program punches its ticket to the Southland Basketball Championships with its fourth straight victory in sweeping fashion over the Lamar Cardinals 84-79 at Montagne Event Center Sunday night.
After matching his former career-high of 20 points in the past 48 hours against Nicholls, Turk Vincent led the Privateers with 22 points and eight rebounds. Vincent had 15 points in the first half.
New Orleans led 88 percent of the game, with the largest lead being 10 in the second half. On a 17-8 run late in the second, the Cardinals stepped into their first lead of the game and extended it to three 79-76, prompting an answer from the Privateers.
K’mani Doughty drew a foul and connected on both shots from the charity stripe followed by Vincent, who scooped in to make two layups in a row with 15 seconds on the clock. Marquez Cooper made the final two shots with from the free-throw line with one second on the clock to close out the game 84-79.
Closing out the first half at 58 percent, New Orleans finished the game shooting 46.7 percent from the field. They were 24-of-29 from the FT-line (82.8 percent) and also executed on the defensive end as they racked up a season-high 14 steals.
Jordan Johnson had 12 points, and Khaleb Wilson-Rouse had 11 points for the second consecutive game. Wilson-Rouse also had eight steals, which is the most for a Privateer this season. Doughty saw his second game in a row with double figures with 10 points. Marquez Cooper, Omarion Henry, Tyson Jackson, and D’ante Bell also contributed.
UP NEXT: The Privateers will travel to McNeese on Wednesday, Mar. 1. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
{Courtesy: release from UNO Athletics}
