Box Score UNO-NSU Box Score
THIBODAUX, La. – New Orleans could not overcome a strong first half shooting performance by Nicholls State in a 92-79 loss at Stopher Gym on Monday night.
NSU (1-2) shot 60.4 percent for the game including a 75 percent clip in the first half en route to winning their home opener.
Fred Hunter scored a game-high 22 points, including 15 in the first half. Four other players scored in double-figures for the Colonels, including JaMarkus Horace with 17.
Lovell Cook's 15 points led UNO (2-3), the senior forward's third outing of the season in double-digits.
Rarlensee Nelson added a career-high 13 points while dishing out nine assists.
Evans Ganapamo rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points, eight of which came in the second half.
NSU shot 75 percent from the floor and long-range during the game's opening 20 minutes, connecting on 15 of 20 field goal attempts and 6 of 8 from beyond the arc.
The Colonels opened the contest making four straight shots and 11 of 14 to take a 31-20 lead with 9:20 remaining until the intermission. The Privateers cut the lead to single digits before being held without a field goal for the final 6:08 of the half, allowing NSU to enter the break with a 47-31 lead.
The lead for the Colonels grew to a high of 24 points with 12:50 left in the second half.
Back-to-back three-pointers by Ganapamo allowed UNO to reach within 16 at 62-46 with 11:00 remaining in the contest. The Privateers trimmed the deficit to 10 on a Traddarius McPhearson three-point play with 1:34 to go, the closest the guests would get within the hosts.
The next game for UNO will take place on Thursday, Nov. 29 in the friendly confines of Lakefront Arena against Southeast Missouri. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. following a women's basketball contest between the Lady Privateers and Southeastern Louisiana.
NOTES
UNO senior forward
Lovell Cook has shot 50 percent or better in all five games this season after connecting on 7 of 13 attempts.
UNO senior guard
Rarlensee Nelson came up one assist short in his quest to become just the second Privateer to post 10 or more assists in three consecutive games. Nelson has totaled at least six assists per game this season and began the contest ranked third in the nation with nine assists an outing. Jordan Crump holds the Privateer record with three straight games of 10 or more assists on two separate occasions during the 1974-75 season.
With his 10 points, UNO freshman
Evans Ganapamo has scored in double-digits in his last two games.
UNO's reserves are now 4-0-1 on the season when comparing their scoring to their counterparts after tying the Colonels 29-all. The Privateer bench is now 25-10-2 under head coach
Mark Slessinger.
The win was the third straight in the series for NSU, which includes victories on Dec. 1, 2007 at the Human Performance Center and Nov. 19, 2008 at Stopher Gym… Future Southland Conference rivals, UNO and NSU will meet again at Lakefront Arena on Dec. 12.
