Privateers Take Wire-to-Wire Win over Wildcats on Senior Night, 75-55

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NEW ORLEANS, La. – The New Orleans Privateers men's basketball team claimed a wire-to-wire win over Abilene Christian on Saturday night, bringing home the senior night victory, 75-55, with another nine-three-pointer affair.
 
New Orleans picks up its second consecutive victory with the 20-point win, improving its record to 9-15 on the year and 5-10 in the conference while dropping the Wildcats to 9-19 overall and 3-12 in league play.
 
"We're getting the three-point shots from better spots," said New Orleans head coach Mark Slessinger. "We're going more inside-out and our guys are taking better shots and getting better passes. Hopefully we can keep it rolling these last three games and into the conference tournament."
 
New Orleans took off following the opening tip, putting in the first points on a Nate Frye layup. Frye then put the Privateers on top by three with a three-pointer just two minutes later.
 
Kevin Brown then tossed in a pair of back-to-back three-pointers, sending New Orleans up by nine at 15-6 with 14:30 to play in the half. Michael Zeno then sent the Privateers up by double-figures, putting in one of two free throws to make it 16-6.
 
After Abilene Christian brought the New Orleans lead back down to just four, New Orleans responded with a 12-0 run, Frye starting things off with a three and Kevin Hill ending it on a layup, setting the score at 35-19 with three minutes to go.
 
Hill then sank consecutive layups as time expired on the first half, sending New Orleans into the break on top 38-20.
 
Frye hit on a layup out of the intermission, keeping New Orleans on top by 20 followed by a three from Brown with 17:12 to go. Abilene Christian managed to get the lead back down to 13 over the next five minutes, setting the score at 45-32.
 
But New Orleans came back, bringing its lead back up to 17 with a dunk from Tevin Broyles to go along with his jumper seconds later, bumping the Privateers back up at 49-32 down the final 10 minutes.
 
The lead returned to the 20-point mark with another three-pointer from Brown off of the Hill assist, sending the Privateers up 59-39 at the 6:36 mark. New Orleans then grabbed its largest lead of the night with 3:41 to go, going up 70-48 as the Privateers eased to the 20-point win.
 
The two seniors, Brown and Syon, each finished in double-figures, Brown leading with his game-high 19 on five three-pointers while Syon tipped in 12 with his eight rebounds.
 
Frye and Hill each also ended in double-figures, Frye sinking 11 and Hill adding in his 10 to go with his three blocks.
 
Brown was also tops in the assist category with his four.
 
New Orleans returns to action on Monday, March 2, as the Privateers host Nicholls at 7 p.m. CT in the Lakefront Arena.

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.