UNO-NSU Box Score
NATCHITOCHES, La. – A strong conclusion to the first half provided the cushion Northwestern State needed to complete an in-season home-and-home sweep of New Orleans with a 63-50 victory on Saturday afternoon at Prather Coliseum.
UNO (3-21) led 13-10 with 12:17 remaining in the opening half before a 24-8 run by NSU (11-15).
The spurt by the hosts gave the Lady Demons a 34-21 advantage with 2:28 remaining before the intermission. NSU carried a 37-27 lead into the half.
Keri Thomas was 5 of 7 for the Lady Privateers to begin the game and accounted for 11 of UNO's first 21 points. Thomas finished with 26 points for the contest and shot 10 of 18 over 36 minutes.
In the second half, a Thomas lay-up with 19:45 remaining pulled UNO's deficit into single digits.
NSU shot 51.7 percent from the field in the second half and when Janelle Perez scored at the 18:23 mark it put the hosts' advantage in double-figures, where it would remain through the end of the game.
Perez matched teammate Keisha Lee with a Lady Demon high of 14 points. Jasmine Upchurch added 12 points for NSU.
Mirjam Sipos joined Thomas in double-figures for UNO, scoring 16 points. The 16-point effort was the most for the guard since she poured in 19 against Murray State on Feb. 6.
Saturday's contest was the final game in the state of Louisiana for the Lady Privateers this season. The team will visit Great West Conference foes Texas-Pan American (Feb. 27) and CSU Bakersfield (Mar. 2) to conclude the campaign.
NOTES
Keri Thomas has scored at least 15 points in nine straight games. According to available records, the string for the Lady Privateer guard is the longest since Le'Della English had a six-game streak with at least 15 points a game during the 2007-08 season.
UNO and NSU will play regularly beginning in 2013-14 as members of the Southland Conference. According to an initial league schedule, the Lady Demons and their male counterparts are slated to visit Lakefront Arena during the 2013-14 season.
