Box Score NEW ORLEANS - The University of New Orleans took advantage of a strong defensive showing in the first half to pull away from St. Thomas (Texas) on way to posting a 73-54 victory on Monday night at Lakefront Arena.
K.C. Ross-Miller topped double-figures for the third straight game, notching a career-high with 19 points for UNO (14-5). Ross-Miller shot 6 of 7 from the field and made 4 of 5 attempts from beyond the arc.
Antonio Wertz added 13 points for the Privateers with Jaroslav Tyrna posting his second double-double of the year with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
UST (13-11) failed to pull off the in-season sweep after defeating UNO 59-55 in Houston on Feb. 7. Jeremy Lewis scored 15 points for the Celts, who will continue their stay in the Crescent City with a game against Xavier (La.) at The Barn on Tuesday.
A drought from the field by the visiting Celts allowed UNO to move ahead in the first half.
After UST made a field goal to pull within one at 5-4 with 15:53 remaining before the half, the Privateers scored 17 straight poitns while the Celts failed to connect from the field. A three-pointer by Andrew Graves with 6:27 left before the break ended the UNO run and UST's futility from the field.
The Privateers shot 48 percent from the field during the first 20 minutes of the contest, compared to 16.7 percent for the visiting Celts. The shooting difference allowed UNO to enter the half with a 36-13 lead.
UNO made their first four three-point attempts of the second half and came out of the break on a 14-6 run to push their advantage to 50-19.
The 31-point edge would not last as the Celts would get within 15 points at 66-51 with just over three minutes left. UST shot 60.9 percent in the second half, but could not overcome the deficit.
The Privateers will take to the floor to round their home slate this Thursday at 7 p.m. against Birmingham Southern. Prior to the game, UNO will honor seniors Tyrna and Ryan Kinsley.
