UNO (6-4) vs. Saint Leo (5-2)
Tues, Dec. 13, 2011 • 7 p.m. CST • Lakefront Arena • WGSO 990 AM
Live Video • Live Stats • Live Audio • Twitter • Game Notes
NEW ORLEANS – The University of New Orleans will play the last of a nine-game stretch within the city limits when they host Saint Leo on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Lakefront Arena.
UNO (6-4) defeated NAIA foe Johnson & Wales on Saturday to improve their home record to 5-0 on the season. First-year head coach
Mark Slessinger's 5-0 start to the home slate trails only Benny Dees (1984-85) and Tic Price (1994-95) with seven and six wins, respectively, as the most successful Lakefront debut.
A large part of the recent success has been the continued improvement at the guard positions.
Brandon Knight had a career-high nine assists on Saturday and over the last four games has compiled 24 assists to just five turnovers. The result is a 4.8 to 1 turnover-to-assist ratio for the senior guard from Pensacola, Fla., who has no less than four assists a game during this current stretch.
Fellow starting guard
Darrell Williams also posted a career-high over the weekend, scorching the net for 17 points including five three-pointers in the victory over JWU. The Rummel product has also had a hand in the assist column, joining Knight in a trio with
Rarlensee Nelson that has contributed at least three assists per game over the last three contests.
The guards' play has allowed
Antonio Wertz and
Lovell Cook to continue their work this season around the basket. Wertz leads the team with 13 points per game and 54.6 percent shooting from the field, with Cook's 11.7 points and 43.7 percent clip right behind him.
The first NCAA Division II opponent on the season for the Privateers, Saint Leo (5-2) returns to action after a 10-day layoff for final exams.
The Lions last played on Dec. 3 when they defeated UNO's future Gulf South Conference rival Valdosta State 69-59, completing an in-season home-and-home sweep of the Blazers.
Saint Leo's other notable win was a victory at home against a Southeastern (Fla.) team that the Privateers also defeated earlier this season.
The majority of the Lions' scoring comes from the guard positions where Trent Thomas and Marcus Ruh lead the way with 15.1 and 11.9 points per game, respectively. Saint Leo's is shooting the ball at a 48.2 percent clip on the season and has not had more than 15 turnovers in a game against a non-Division I foe.
Tuesday's contest will be broadcast on WGSO 990 AM and WGSO.com, in addition to a live broadcast on UNOPrivateers.com for a minimal fee. Tickets are still on sale for the game by calling (504) 280-GAME, visiting TicketMaster.com or the Lakefront Arena Box Office.
The Privateers will head to Concordia-Selma on Friday for a 7 p.m. tip before returning home to the friendly confines of Lakefront Arena to face North Alabama on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 2:30 p.m. in the backend of a doubleheader with the Lady Privateers that begins at 12 p.m.
