Hill Scores 17, Hauls in Seven Boards in 85-60 Loss at San Diego

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SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Even with one of the best 20-minute shooting stretches this season, the New Orleans men's basketball team couldn't hold off San Diego late on Saturday night, falling on the west coast 85-60.
 
The Privateers shot a stellar 65 percent from the field in the first half, the highest 20-minute span for New Orleans this season, going 13-of-20 while moving the team's overall record to 2-4 on the season.
 
"We had a really good first half of the first half offensively and I was proud about our adjustments," said New Orleans head coach Mark Slessinger. "But they got loose around the seven-minute mark of the first half and it was off of a lot of broken plays that they converted on. Defensively we've got to get better. Our guys are fighting and getting better, and that's hard to see right now, but we are.
 
"We've got to be able to complete some of these runs and not just be good offensively, but on the defensive side as well. I can't look at this with a negative attitude because I see how hard our guys are working and how much effort they're putting in day in and day out."
 
Through the first 12 minutes of action it was a back-and-forth battle between the Toreros, now 6-5, and the Privateers with neither team grabbing more than a five point lead late into the first period.
 
After San Diego lunged out to a four-point edge early on, New Orleans answered with back-to-back baskets from Kevin Hill, making it a one-possession game at 6-4 through the first three minutes.
 
New Orleans then knotted things up three minute later as Colton Weisbrod connected on a layup, setting the score at 12-12. Weisbrod then gave the Privateers their first lead of the night with the close-range basket at the 11:26 mark, setting the visitors on top 17-15.
 
The two teams then played to three more ties up until the clock hit 9:15, when San Diego went on a 15-5 run, taking the first 10-point lead for either team at 36-26 with just over five to go in the half.
 
Hill put in the jumper just before the buzzer, cutting the Torero lead down from 15 to 13 just before the break, San Diego leading things 48-35 even with the Privateers shooting at a 65 percent clip through the first 20 minutes of action.
 
It was New Orleans that struck first coming out of the locker rooms as Nate Frye threw in the first points of the second half on a layup, but San Diego responded with an 11-0 run over a four-minute stretch, going up 59-37.
 
Following a timeout in play the Privateers struck with consecutive field goals from Hill and Christavious Gill, but San Diego again brought its lead back up by 20 with a pair of free throws at 63-43.
 
The Privateers managed once more to crack into the 20-point lead, bringing it to 18 with a Thibodeaux layup, but the Toreros answered with a triple, going up 66-45 with under 12 to go.
 
San Diego then held off the Privateers through the last 10 minutes, going on to win on their home floor by 25.
 
Offensively it was the junior Hill that led the way for New Orleans as the forward was good for 17 points while also leading the Privateers in the rebound category with his 17 and in blocks with two.
 
Frye also finished in double-figures, going 4-for-6 with 10 points and two assists.
 
The Privateers will remain on the road, taking on Southern Illinois this Friday, Dec. 19 at 7:05 p.m. CT.

To keep up with the latest New Orleans men' basketball news, follow the team on Twitter @UNOPrivateers and @Privateers_MBB or by liking New Orleans Privateers on Facebook.