Box Score UNO-XULA Box Score
NEW ORLEANS –
Brandon Canady scored a career-high 17 points for the University of New Orleans in a back-and-forth contest in which Xavier prevailed with a 75-69 victory at The Barn on Wednesday night.
With the game knotted at 59, XULA (17-6) scored seven straight points to break open the contest.
Cordell Hadnot scored four of his 13 points during the game-changing run for the Gold Rush. Hadnot's total joined three other XULA players in double-figures led by Chris Iles with 15 points as the hosts never trailed UNO (13-11) by more than five points.
The five-point advantage for the Privateers came in the opening half of the game.
With UNO's 1-2 scoring punch of
Lovell Cook and
Antonio Wertz struggling to a 1 of 9 performance in the opening half, Canady and
Max Banchy stepped up to the plate.
Canady scored seven points prior to the half with Banchy adding six more to help the remainder of the squad to a 9 of 16 effort from the field during the game's first 20 minutes.
A three-pointer by Banchy with 13:38 remaining before the break provided UNO a 13-8 advantage in the early stages of the game. XULA responded with an 8-3 run to move ahead 18-16 on an Isles three-pointer at the 9:25 mark.
The teams exchanged leads several times heading into the break with
Brandon Knight converting a steal into a fast break lay-up with 24 seconds left to provide the cushion the Privateers needed for a 32-20 halftime edge.
The lead changes continued in the second half as UNO and XULA fought through 10 lead changes before the Privateers took the first meaningful lead at 55-50 on a Banchy three-pointer with 10:53 remaining.
As they had the last time Banchy drained a three-pointer, the Gold Rush stormed back with nine of the next 13 points to knot the game at 59. The momentum remained in XULA's court as they scored seven straight to build a 66-59 lead with the 11th lead change of the half.
Cook led a comeback effort for the Privateers, making 6 of 8 attempts from the field over the final 20 minutes to reach 16 points for the game. The forward connected on back-to-back baskets as UNO reached within three points at 66-63 with 3:16 to go.
After a miss from the field by both teams, Kevin Miller drained a jumper that gave XULA a 68-63 lead. The Privateers would not get within four points the rest of the way as the Gold Rush held on to complete the in-season series sweep of their crosstown foes.
Next on the floor UNO is a Saturday contest at Florida Christian at the Kissimmee Civic Center at 1 p.m. CT.
