Box Score SAVANNAH, Ga. ? The University of New Orleans basketball team got off to a quick start on Saturday but struggled in the second half in a 54-44 loss at Savannah State.
T.J. Worley had a game-high 20 points for UNO (0-3), and Darrian McKinstry poured in 15. But the Privateers shot just 27 percent in the second half and committed 24 turnovers overall as UNO started a season 0-3 for the first time since 1998-99.
Chris Linton had 16 points, and freshman Rashad Hassan had 12 for the Tigers (4-0). Linton had 11 points in the decisive second half, helping SSU overcome a seven-point halftime deficit.
The Tigers shot 50 percent in the final frame after shooting just 25 percent in the opening half. SSU scored 23 points off the Privateer miscues.
“We played for 20 minutes today and we defended for 20 minutes today,” said UNO head coach Joe Pasternack, whose team held SSU to just seven field goals in the first half. “We didn't defend as well in the second half, and we couldn't score.”
The Privateers, who were without senior forward Kyndall Dykes for the third straight game due to a sprained ankle, did not seem to need the preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selection early.
UNO jumped out to a 14-3 lead six minutes into the game and led 22-8 with 8:05 remaining in the first half. SSU managed to hold UNO to just five points the rest of the half as the Tigers cut the deficit to 27-20 at halftime.
The offensive struggles continued in the second half for UNO, while SSU began to get hot. The Tigers outscored UNO 17-3 in the first nine minutes of the second half to take a 37-30 advantage.
UNO never got closer than four.
The Privateers scored just 17 points in the second half and were just 6-of-22 from the field. UNO scored 22 points in the game's final 28 minutes.
Worley and McKinstry finished the day a combined 13-for-30 from the field, but the rest of the Privateers combined to shoot just 3-for-16.
“The bottom line is we've got to have somebody else step up,” Pasternack said. “(Savannah State) plays a different style ? pressing you every single possession. But we had too many turnovers, and that is unacceptable.
“The turnovers are just a product of an inexperienced team. But we'll go back to work on Monday and just continue to work hard.”
UNO will wrap up a three-game road trip with an 8 p.m. CT game at Colorado State on Wednesday.
