Brown Shoots Privateers into Second Round, Clip Colonels 82-73

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KATY, Texas – Kevin Brown set a new career-mark with 24 points, sending the New Orleans men's basketball team past Nicholls 82-73 on Wednesday night, lifting the Privateers into the second round of the Southland Conference Tournament.
 
The Privateers take home their first conference tournament win since a 65-60 victory over Denver in 2008 and gets New Orleans to 11-17 on the year.
 
New Orleans, the No. 7 seed, will now face No. 3 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. CT.
 
"It was an incredibly competitive game," said New Orleans head coach Mark Slessinger. "Historically, it's always close between us and Nicholls and tonight was no different. I'm proud of our team and execution. We made some good adjustments and our team responded. We've been so close in so many games all year long and I'm just beyond excited for us to get the first conference tournament win in a lot of years`."
 
New Orleans came out strong under the basket, pulling up with a 6-5 lead after a Nate Frye layup, all six of the early Privateer points coming off of second-chance opportunities.
 
Frye then sparked off an 8-1 run for the Privateers with his layup followed by a Christavious Gill five-footer, Frye handing out the assist, sending New Orleans up 14-8 with 13 minutes to go in the half.
 
Travin Thibodeaux then got going in the paint, slamming home the two-hand jam followed by a strong basket from the inside one minute later, putting the Privateers on top 18-14 at the nine minute mark.
 
Nicholls would respond, however, clipping off three three-pointers to take its first lead in nearly 10 minutes at 23-21 with six minutes on the clock in the first.
 
The teams then played to three ties over the next two minutes, the last coming as Broyles drilled a three to knot things at 28. But three more three-pointers from the Colonels down the final three minutes helped bring Nicholls a 42-39 halftime lead.
 
Nicholls' lead was short-lived heading into the final 20 minutes, Brown connecting on a layup and a free throw, tying things up at 42 through the first 90-seconds of action.
 
New Orleans then grabbed the lead one-minute later as Brown sent in the long-two pointer, giving the Privateers the 44-42 edge.
 
After three more ties it was yet another Thibodeaux dunk that broke things up, the freshman putting in the free throw as well to send the Privateers up 51-48 with 14:40 to play.
 
Frye then gave New Orleans the first two-possession lead for either team since the first half with his fast-break layup 30 seconds later, sending the Privateers to a 53-48 lead.
 
With 10:47 on the clock it was Brown that sank a pair of threes for the Privateers, putting New Orleans on top by six points at 59-53, Brown tying his career high with 21 points on the shot.
 
New Orleans held Nicholls scoreless from the field over the next four minutes, taking off to a 63-59 lead as Brown drove home yet another three-pointer with 5:34 to go.
 
But Nicholls wasn't done, going on an 8-2 run to tie things up at 69 with a pair of free throws with just 2:30 to go.
 
Tevin Broyles then got the Privateers on the offensive swing, hitting on two free throws before putting in the tough layup, putting New Orleans in the lead 75-72 with under a minute to go.
 
The Privateers then rallied behind a strong defense and clutch free-throw shooting, giving New Orleans its first conference tournament win since 2008.
 
Along with Brown's career-mark 24 points on his 6-for-6 night from the field, Thibodeaux also set a new standard as the forward tipped in 15 with his five rebounds.
 
Three other Privateers ended the ballgame in double figures including 14 from Gill, 13 from Broyles and 10 from Hill.
 
Hill recorded his second double-double in as many games and his fifth of the year with his 10 rebounds to go with his 10 points.
 
Broyles was tops in assists with his five along with his three steals.

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.