NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans freshman guard Carl Blair hit a running layup with 34.4 seconds left to hand the Privateers a 67-66 overtime win over visiting UALR on Thursday at Lakefront Arena.
Devin McDonald had a career-high 20 points, while Charles Carmouche added 18 as UNO (7-11, 2-5 Sun Belt Conference) won its second consecutive home game.
Blair scored 10 points and also added eight assists. UNO shot just 42 percent from the field but was 11-for-24 (46 percent) from 3-point range.
Courtney Jackson had a career-high 16 points to lead UALR (4-13, 0-6), which dropped its eighth straight. The sophomore forward also had a game-high nine rebounds, helping UALR out-board UNO 38-27.
Alex Garcia-Mendoza had 12 points, while guard Solomon Bozeman - who played the point due to injured guard Lionel Foster - had a career-best 10 assists.
In overtime, the Privateers trailed 64-62 with 2:09 to play after Matt Mouzy (8 points) hit a jumper in the paint. But McDonald, who hit six 3-pointers, connected on a trey from the corner to give UNO a 65-64 advantage with 1:35 remaining.
After Garcia-Mendoza put UALR back in front with a baseline jumper of his own, Blair provided the game-winner by piercing through the lane and scoring on an uncontested layup.
UALR missed a layup on the ensuing possession, but a missed free throw by UNO gave the Trojans a chance to win it.
But a 17-foot jumper by Bozeman fell short with two seconds left, and Blair grabbed the rebound and tossed the ball away to give UNO its first win at home against UALR in four tries.
UALR forced the extra period with on a Wayne Burton layup with 38 seconds to play in regulation. Neither team led by more than four points in the second half.
The Privateers, who played without leading scorer Billy Humphrey due to a knee injury, will return to action next Thursday at Louisiana-Lafayette.
