New Orleans, Louisiana- The University of New Orleans women's basketball team will open Southland Conference competition for the 2016-17 season Saturday, Dec. 31, against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Lakefront Arena. Tipoff is set for 2 p. m.
New Orleans (5-5) is coming off a successful tune up for conference play with a record breaking 123-33 win over Crowley's Ridge College. The Privateers set program records for points scored (123) and margin of victory (90) and junior guard
Randi Brown became the 16th player in UNO history to surpass 1,000 points during her career.
It was a comfortable win over Crowley's Ridge, however New Orleans head coach
Keeshawn Davenport knows conference competition is another level.
"It's worth a greater number of marbles. It gives everybody a clean slate and it doesn't matter what you did in non-conference. Everyone is even."
UNO will rely on the league's leading scorer,
Randi Brown (Human Performance). With a game-high 21 points against Crowley's Ridge, Brown now has 1,007 points for her career. She averages 19.6 a game. However, the intensity of league play could effect a scorer like the junior from Houma, Louisiana.
"Although Randi has a better supporting cast, scoring will be more difficult in conference because she will see more box and ones and face guarding," explained Davenport. But reaching 1,000 points is quite an accomplishment especially in your junior season."
The supporting cast showed up in the win over Crowley's Ridge with six players, including Brown, in double figures.
Kayla Mundy (human Performance) and
Danielle Wright (Biological Sciences) both scored 15 points.
Halie Matthews (Biological Sciences) had a season high 14, 8 rebounds and 5 blocked shots.
Jewel Angelo (Interdisciplinary Studies) had 13 and
Mariah Wright (Computer Science) finished with 11 points.
As a team, New Orleans is leading the league in 3-point percentage, hitting 52-of-147 for .354 and New Orleans is second in field goal percentage at .432.
Sophomore
Shania Woods is an even 50 percent shooter from the field canning 35-0f-70 shots on the season. She is also the Southland's 10
th best in rebounding at 6.9 an outing.
"I'm just excited about conference play, said Davenport. "This year in this league anyone can jump up and win. It's a fun time and competitive."
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (4-7) dropped its last outing to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 55-49. They are led by senior Camesha Davis averaging 9.5 points and 7.4 rebounds a game. The Islanders are statistically one of the SLC's leading defensive teams ranking third in the league in scoring defense yielding 61.0 points a game and second in the Southland in field goal percentage at .381.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is a young squad with five freshmen getting significant playing time thus far.
"Coach Royce Chadwick has done a great job getting those young people playing time and experience leading into conference," said Davenport. "They're an athletic team that can get up and down the floor and they'll be rested after an eleven-day break."
The visiting team ranks third in the conference in defending the 3 point shot (.308) and is second in blocked shots (3.7).
Last season Texas A&M-Corpus Christi swept the season series from the Privateers with a 73-59 win in Corpus Christi and a victory at Lakefront Arena, 75-64.
After facing the Islanders, UNO will play three consecutive conference road games, at Abilene Christian Jan. 3, at Lamar Jan. 5, and at Incarnate Word Jan. 7. New Orleans' next home game will be Thursday, Jan 12 when Sam Houston State comes to Lakefront Arena for 5:30 p. m. tipoff. It will be the first game of a doubleheader as the New Orleans men will face Sam Houston State at 7:45 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--
