Men’s Basketball Goes for Back-to-Back Wins at McNeese

NEW ORLEANS (6-10, 2-5) AT MCNEESE STATE (7-11, 1-6)
GAME 17 | JANUARY 31 | 6:00 P.M. CT
LAKE CHARLES, LA. | BURTON COLISEUM
 
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | TWITTER
 
THE GAME:
The New Orleans men's basketball team goes for two in a row this weekend as the Privateers head to Lake Charles, La. on Saturday for a 6 p.m. CT contest against McNeese State in Southland Conference action.
 
The Privateers are coming off of an 87-67 win over Central Arkansas, giving New Orleans a 6-10 overall record with a 2-5 league mark. McNeese State has dropped its last two and now holds steady at 7-11 on the year and 1-5 in the SLC.

THE COVERAGE:
LIVE STATS: Statistical updates will be available from UNOPrivateers.com at the start of Saturday's game.
LIVE VIDEO: McNeeseSports.com will have the broadcast of the contest.
LIVE AUDIO: Jude Young will have the call on UNOPrivateers.com
TWITTER: Follow the New Orleans men's basketball team on Twitter @Privateers_MBB to receive updates throughout the game.
 
THE OPPONENT:
McNeese State    
After a pair of road losses this past week, McNeese State returns home to Burton Coliseum where the Cowboys hold a 6-4 record on the year. Desharick Guidry leads the Southland Conference in rebounds per game with 11.8 and is fourth in points with 17.6
 
THE SERIES
All-Time Record: New Orleans  leads, 7-5
Last Meeting: MSU won, 72-69 2/16/14

LAST TIME OUT:
Kevin Brown tied a career-high with 21 points as the New Orleans men's basketball team took down Central Arkansas, 87-67, to get back in the win column in the Lakefront Arena on Monday night. It was a wire-to-wire win for the Privateers who placed four players in double-figures scoring while scoring 50 points in the first half, the second time this year New Orleans has accomplished that feat.
 
NEXT UP:
New Orleans remains on the road in conference action following the meeting with McNeese, heading to Nicholls for a Monday, Feb. 2 showdown at 6:30 p.m. CT.
 
NEWS AND NOTES:
Vs. McNeese
The Privateers lead in the all-time series with the Cowboys, 7-5, but have dropped the last two meetings after putting together a string of five consecutive wins against McNeese.

50 in a Half
During the 87-67 win over Central Arkansas in the team's last outing, New Orleans put in 50 first-half points, the second time this season the Privateers have done that.
 
Scoring Leader
With eight straight double-figure scoring games, sophomore Christavious Gill has remained the team's leading scorer, averaging 11.9 points per outing, giving Gill one point for nearly every two minutes of time on the court. Gill has put together an impressive offensive run of New Orleans, scoring in double-figures in 16 out of the last 18 games for the Privateers dating back to last season.

Frye from the Line
With 49-of-58 makes from the stripe, Nate Frye ranks No. 3 in the Southland Conference and No. 64 in the nation in free-throw percentage with an .845 mark.
 
Field Goal Percentages
The Privateers now have two players in the top 10 in the conference in field goal percentage, Terrance Syon at No. 7 with a .563 mark and freshman Colton Weisbrod at No. 9, shooting at a .548 success rate.
 
Getting to the Stripe
With 28 free-throw attempts per game on average, New Orleans is currently the most proficient team in terms of getting to the line in the nation.
 
Bench Play
New Orleans has picked up solid play from the bench this season as well, earning 24.8 points per game compared to just 20.7 from its opponents.
In the Paint
The Privateers have been tough to face in the paint during the 2014-15 season, outscoring their opponents by a 542-490 margin under the basket thus far.
 
Steals
The Privateers have been creating their own luck lately, coming up with 126 total steals on the year. The 7.9 takeaways per game puts New Orleans at No. 41 nationally.
 
Frye's Assists
Guard Nate Frye now ranks as the team leader in assists, handing out three per game including seven alone during the win over Central Arkansas, the second time this season Frye has hit the seven assists mark in an outing.

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.