Box Score UNO-Loyola Box Score
UNO Basketball Hosting Free Clinic for Area Youth on MLK Day
NEW ORLEANS – In a game featuring 12 lead changes and eight ties, Loyola was able to escape The Den with an 85-79 victory over the University of New Orleans on Saturday afternoon.
UNO (11-8) led by 11 points with 7:19 remaining in the contest before LU (11-5) grabbed the momentum with a 15-2 run to go ahead 76-74.
Following a tie at 76 apiece, the Wolfpack seized the lead for good on a Corey Gray three-pointer with 2:17 to go. Gray accounted for 33 points and nine assists as LU's defense only yielded a
Brandon Knight three-pointer in the game's final two points to hold off UNO for the victory.
“We battled extremely hard over the course of the game and had a bad four minute stretch in which we did not stick within our system,” said Privateer head coach
Mark Slessinger. “One of those stretches was in the second half, when they went on the run and we could not put a stop to what they were doing, which hurt us in the end.”
The offensive production in the game's final minutes was a change of pace for UNO, particularly in the second half.
Leading 38-37 coming out of the intermission, the Privateers embarked on an 11-2 run to begin the second half.
Lovell Cook scored six of his team-leading 16 points during the spurt as UNO went ahead 49-41.
The shots continued to fall for the Privateers, who received three second half three-pointers from
Max Banchy as the team connected on 14 of their first 20 attempts from the field at the onset of the second half.
The solid production led to a 72-61 lead for UNO prior to the momentum-shifting run by LU.
Defensively, the Privateers put together a solid opening half by forcing the Wolfpack into 15 of their 23 turnovers. The Privateers turned the miscues into 19 points and after seven lead changes, moved ahead on a pair of
Generra Varmall free throws with 8:15 left before the half.
UNO's lead grew to a first half-high of six points on three occasions with Loyola eventually holding the guests off the scoreboard for the half's final 2:10 to cut the lead to one at the break.
“We knew we were going to have to press them to keep the tempo going,” said Slessinger. “We just did not convert on some of those turnovers and left some empty possessions for the game.”
“Loyola got too much scoring in the paint and we did not contain Gray, letting him have too good a game.”
In addition to Gray's offensive exploits, the Wolfpack received 18 points from Tomeny McCall and 16 from Cameron Cates. McCall added a game-high 14 rebounds as the trio combined for 67 of LU's 85 points.
For the visiting Privateers, Cook was joined in double-figures by Varmall,
Antonio Wertz and
Antonio Holmes. Varmall scored 12 points while the pair of Wertz and Holmes contributed 10 points apiece.
UNO will return home for their next two contests, beginning with a 7 p.m. tip on Monday against Delta State. Southern-New Orleans visits Thursday at 7 p.m. with both games scheduled to be broadcast on WGSO 990 AM.
