NEW ORLEANS - The University of New Orleans basketball team was seemingly behind when the bus rolled up to Fogelman Arena on Wednesday. But, when all was said and done, the Privateers notched another win against their crosstown rival.
Ejike Hart's layup with 9.2 seconds left capped a dramatic second-half rally, as the Privateers rallied for a 51-50 win at Tulane.
The Privateers (4-2), who trailed by double figures early and never led until a Charles Carmouche free throw with 1:13 left, held Tulane (3-4) to 17 percent shooting in the second half.
The victory was UNO's eighth in the last 10 meetings against Tulane.
"The first five minutes of the game was all Tulane," said UNO head coach Joe Pasternack. "But we knew it was going to be a 40-minute game. I'm so proud of our guys. They hung in there and hung in there, and we made a great play at the end."
The victory seemed unlikely after the first half.
Kevin Sims, who hit his first five shots of the game, scored eight points in the first 4:18 as Tulane raced out to a 15-2 lead.
The Green Wave led by double figures through much of the half, and Sims' 13 points helped the hosts keep a 30-23 lead at halftime.
In the second half, UNO completely shut down Tulane. Despite going six minutes without a field goal during a stretch, the Privateers still cut a point off the deficit and were only down 44-39 with 6:12 to play following a Devin McDonald layup.
Tulane got a layup from Asim McQueen to push the lead to 46-39 with 5:57 to play before UNO used a 6-0 spurt to make it 46-45 with four minutes remaining.
After Tulane got the lead up to 48-45, McDonald tied it with a 3-pointer with 1:41 to play.
The Privateers took their first lead of the game on Carmouche's free throw, but Tulane's David Booker put the Green Wave back ahead with a pair of free throws to make it 50-49.
UNO couldn't score on the ensuing possession, but the Privateers stayed within a point after the Green Wave's Aaron Holmes missed two free throws.
The Privateers took full advantage, as Tulane double-teamed Humphrey at the free-throw elbow. The senior saw Hart wide open under the goal, and the perfect bounce pass led to the eventual game-winning layup.
Sims' desperation running jumper in the lane fell short as time expired.Â
"What a basketball play by Billy," Pasternack said. "Billy's a scorer, and scorers always want the final shot. But he showed how complete a player he is, and he made a great unselfish basketball play."
McDonald finished with a team-high 17 points off the bench, while Carmouche added 11.
Sims led Tulane with 17 points, while Kris Richard added 12. The duo only combined for seven points in the second half.
The victory snapped a 12-game road losing streak for the Privateers. UNO out-rebounded Tulane 47-38, led by Jaroslav Tyrna's career-high 13 boards.
UNO will return home for a 7:45 p.m. Saturday matchup against Houston Baptist at Lakefront Arena. For ticket information, please call 504-280-GAME or log on to UNOPrivateers.com.
