Women's Basketball Falls In Season Opener To Alabama

Tuscaloosa, Alabama- Despite 26 points from junior guard Randi Brown, the University of New Orleans women's basketball team dropped its season opener to the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama, 78-57, on Friday at Coleman Coliseum.
 
Brown was 9-of-17 from the field, including 5-of-9 from behind the 3-point arc, but it was not enough to offset five double figure scorers for Alabama led by guard Meoshonti Knight with 18 points.
 
The Privateers led through most of the first quarter, leading by six point margins twice.  UNO open the contest with 3-pointers by Brown and senior guard Ariele Davis for a 6-0 advantage. A jumper by freshman forward Asia Woods at the 5:56 mark put the Privateers ahead 12-6. The quarter, however, finished deadlocked at 17-all.
 
The Tide took control of the game in the second period thanks to an 11-0 run which saw a 22-21 New Orleans lead turn into a 32-22 advantage for Alabama when Jordan Lewis, who had 11 points, scored on a layup with 5:01 to go in the first half.  The Tide led at intermission, 43-30, scoring 11 points off turnovers in the second quarter. Brown was the only UNO player in double figures with 12 at the break and the Privateers outrebounded Alabama, 22-21, in the first half.
 
A jumper by Brown at the 7:54 mark of the third quarter drew UNO as close as they would get at 48-37.  Bama's largest lead was 23 later in the period, 63-40, before coasting to the 21-point win.
 
In addition to the play of Brown, another bright spot for the visitors was the play of Woods, who posted an 11-point, six-rebound outing in her first collegiate game.  Woods, from Cypress, Texas, joined Brown as the only Privateers in double figures.  Woods' older sister, sophomore center Shania, only played 20 minutes due to foul trouble and finished with six points and five rebounds before fouling out of the game.
 
Junior forward Hallie Matthews was the top UNO performer off the bench with six points and four rebounds in only nine minutes of play.
 
UNO was at a distinct disadvantage at the free throw line going to the charity stripe only nine times hitting six for 66.7 per cent while Alabama shot 62.1 per cent hitting 18 of 29 attempts.
 
New Orleans falls to 0-1 on the season and will return to the court Sunday, Nov. 13, when they travel to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to face Southern Mississippi. They'll open their home schedule Tuesday, Nov.15, against Blue Mountain College at Lakefront Arena.
For tickets to that game and other Privateer Athletics events, contact the UNO Athletics Ticket Office at (504) 280-GAME (4263) or via the Internet by clicking HERE.
    
--www.UNOPrivateers.com--