Box Score HBU-UNO Box Score
HOUSTON – A strong second half from Art Bernardi lifted Houston Baptist to their eighth straight victory, a 65-52 result over New Orleans on Monday night at Sharp Gym.
Bernardi scored all 14 of his points in the second half for HBU (12-14). The forward shot 6 of 10 in the final 20 minutes after missing all six field goal attempts prior to the intermission.
The production from Bernardi reversed the trend for the Huskies, who were held to 8 of 30 shooting as a team in the first half by UNO (8-17). The hosts made 13 of 26 shots in the second half.
HBU's advantage was established during a stretch of 6:04 midway through the second half without a field goal for the visiting squad. The Huskies led 35-34 with 14:11 left in the contest and scored 9 of 11 points as the Privateers misfired from the field.
HBU remained in the driver's seat following the spurt and built a lead as high as 13 points with 19 seconds to go in the game.
UNO reached within four points as late as an
Isaac Mack three-pointer at 49-45 with 4:22 remaining.
Rarlensee Nelson scored a Privateer high 18 points in the contest. The total was three shy of Nelson's career high and included eight first half points as UNO had entered the break with a 24-23 lead.
Kevin Hill pulled down a career-high matching 12 rebounds in his first collegiate start. The effort matched HBU's Dauson Womack for game-high honors. Womack also scored 15 points off the bench to round out a double-double.
One final game at Texas-Pan American on Sunday, Mar. 3 remains for the Privateers. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m.
NOTES
Monday's game saw several changes in the starting lineup.
Lovell Cook made the first non-start of his career after starting the previous 56 games in which he appeared for the Privateers. Freshman
Evans Ganapamo, a Mandeville product, made his fourth career start with fellow freshman
Kevin Hill, a John Ehret product, starting for the first time in his career.
Rarlensee Nelson had three assists against HBU and now has 169 for the season. With one game remaining, Nelson is nine assists shy of Jimmie Smith's single-season school record of 178 achieved in 1994-95.
UNO and HBU will play regularly beginning in 2013-14 as members of the Southland Conference. Both schools will officially join on July 1, 2013.
