Austin, Texas- Despite a career-high 17 points by Texas native
Jewel Angelo, the University of New Orleans women's basketball team could not recover from a third quarter where they could manage only 2 points against the nation's 16-ranked team, the University of Texas Longhorns, as the Privateers fell 80-48 at the Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.
New Orleans was outscored in the third period 23-to-2, however Angelo, a senior, reached double figures for the fourth time this season shooting 7-of-12 from the floor, 1-of-1 behind the 3-point arc and 2-of-2 from the free throw line in 29 minutes of action.
"She was fearless. She didn't play the name on the front of the jersey," said Privateer head coach
Keeshawn Davenport. "She played the game plan and she played her game. I really like the Jewel that has shown up lately."
Texas led at the end of the first period by seven, 24-17. Angelo kept the Privateers in it with 11 first quarter points. The Manvel, Texas native had an outstanding night playing in her home state.
However, a second period 14-to-4 run by the Longhorns would give them their largest lead of the first half at 17 points, 38-21, thanks to a Lashann Higgs steal and layup at the 3:40 mark of the quarter. A
Jewel Angelo jumper cut the lead to 14 before a Brooke McCarty 3 pointer placed the advantage back at 17. Texas would go into the break leading 45-28 thanks to a 17 point, 7 rebound first half by Kelsey Lang. She finished the night with a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds.
UNO was outrebounded by the Longhorns in the first half 25-to-13.
Texas put the game away early in the second half with a 13-to-0 run as New Orleans went scoreless for the first 6 minutes and 8 seconds of the period. It was 58-to-28 until
Jewel Angelo scored the Privateers' first points in the third period with a jumper. The Longhorns led 68-to-30 heading into the fourth quarter.
"I was shocked that we did not come out of the locker room for the second half," a disappointed Davenport said. "It really wasn't anything Texas did. We were just a totally different team on the floor."
Randi Brown, the leading scorer in the Southland Conference was the only other Privateer in double figures with 14 points, six shy of her season's average of 20. The junior is now 14 points shy of reaching 1,000 points for her career.
New Orleans had only 4 assists on the night however they did manage to win the points-in-the-paint category 23-to-22.
"The one thing you take from this game is confidence. If you can compete with this team you take that into the Southland Conference and you play hard and win some games," Davenport added.
The Privateers next game is Thursday, Dec. 29, at 5:30 p. m versus Crowley's Ridge College at Lakefront Arena, followed by a New Year's Eve match and the start of Southland Conference play against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 4 p. m. For tickets to those games 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--
