Box Score NEW ORLEANS - The University of New Orleans rallied from an 11-point second half deficit to defeat Mississippi College 74-71 on Monday night at Lakefront Arena.
Zach Kinsley scored 28 points for the game as UNO (7-4) was forced to come back for their second consecutive win. In the Privateers' last game, the team rallied from 18 points down to defeat Huntingdon.
Ryan Kinsley added 13 points while
Jaroslav Tyrna narrowly missed a double-double with eight points and a game-high nine rebounds.
MC (6-5) received 18 points from Cameron Bounds on 6 of 8 shooting. Ken Black scored 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds before fouling out.
In a repeat of the first meeting between the teams, it was UNO that got off to a quick start.
The Privateers scored the first 10 points of the game, including a pair of free throws before the opening tip after a technical foul on MC's Xavier Rush for dunking pre-game. The UNO advantage grew to 15-2 with
Ryan Kinsley providing seven points during the opening spurt that took place in under four minutes.
The visitors, who came back from 18 points down to take a lead in the team's first meeting, would rally as they did before. The Choctaws erased the deficit and moved ahead 22-21 with 5:56 remaining on a Bounds free throw.
MC's lead went to a first half high of six at 27-21 as UNO shot 1 of 9 from the field after their strong start to the game.
The Choctaws carried a 35-31 lead into the break on the back of a 24-1 scoring advantage by the bench.
MC continued to build on their lead in the second half, reaching double-digits at 50-39 on a Pierre Hadley fast-break lay-up with 14:39 remaining in the contest. The Choctaw lead would quickly go to the wayside as UNO put together a 10-0 run that included three-point shots by
Ryan Kinsley and
Brandon Knight.
The Privateers moved ahead 52-51 on a
Zach Kinsley three-pointer with 11:21 left in the contest, their first lead since 5:56 remained in the first half.
The two teams would trade spots in the driver's seat before
Zach Kinsley came through once more to put UNO ahead for good. The junior scored on a second-chance basket to give the Privateers a 68-67 edge before connecting on a fast break dunk courtesy of a steal he created for a 70-67 lead.
After MC tied the contest at 71, UNO's Kenneth Ross-Miller connected on a pair of free throws with 54 seconds left. A shot clock violation on the Choctaws' next possession swung the momentum in the Privateers' favor as
Bryce Kemp made a free throw with a Kelvin Lester last ditch effort to tie the game missing the basket.
UNO will hit the road for a contest at Carver College in Atlanta on Saturday before returning for three straight home games, starting on Jan. 11 against Birmingham Southern.
