Men's Basketball To Host SLC Foe Houston Baptist On Thursday

NEW ORLEANS – The University of New Orleans men's basketball team will look to build on its half-game lead in the current Southland Conference standings when the Privateers play host to league foe Houston Baptist on Thursday, Jan. 19, in Lakefront Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. (CST).

With a 4-1 SLC record to date, the Privateers are currently alone in front of the conference race as Sam Houston State and Southeastern Louisiana are close behind as both schools sit 4-2. The game against the Huskies will not only provide UNO with an opportunity to maintain its place in the league standings, but the game is the only regular-season matchup between the two teams during the 2016-17 season and could play a major factor at the end of the campaign in terms of potential tie-breakers for seedings in the Southland Conference Tournament.

The Privateers enter Thursday night's contest 9-7 on the year, and looking to bounce back from a 70-68 defeat at the hands of Sam Houston State last Thursday evening in Lakefront Arena. As a team, New Orleans is averaging 73.6 points, 36.1 rebounds, 16.3 assists, 7.7 steals and 3.6 blocks per game.

Senior forward Erik Thomas leads the Privateers offensively with 20.6 points per game, followed by senior guards Christavious Gill with an average of 12.4 and Nate Frey with a mark of 11.1. Thomas also paces the team with 7.9 rebounds a night with junior forward Travin Thibodeaux leading the squad with 3.9 assists per game. Gill holds team-high steal honors with 1.6 thefts per outing, and junior forward Makur Puou headlines the defense with 1.4 blocked shots per contest.

New Orleans is connecting at a .466 clip from the field, hitting 425-of-912 shots from the floor and 69-of-223 tries from beyond the 3-point arc (.309), while allowing opponents to shoot .453 overall (416-of-919) and .315 from 3-point land (105-of-333). Privateer foes are averaging 73.5 points, 32.8 rebounds, 13.4 assists, 8.8 steals and 3.3 blocks so far in 2016-17.

Houston Baptist, meanwhile, comes to town 7-9 on the season, 3-3 in Southland action and looking to snap a two-game skid after dropping an 89-78 home decision to Central Arkansas on Jan. 12 and falling 82-77 at Central Arkansas on Jan. 14.

As a team, the Huskies are averaging 76.9 points, 38.0 rebounds, 14.0 assists, 6.6 steals and 2.6 blocks per game. Colter Lasher leads a balanced Houston Baptist offense with a 15.2 point-per-game average while Reveal Chukwujekwu and Josh Ibarra follow with respective scoring marks of 11.3 and 11.2. Chukwujekwu leads the squad in rebounding with 7.4 boards per outing and Ibarra headlines the defense with 0.6 blocks per contest. Braxon Bonds paces the Huskies in assists and steals with 3.0 dimes and 1.8 thefts per contest.

Houston Baptist is hitting 44.8 percent of its shots from the field, connecting on 446-of-996 attempts, including a 96-of-299 showing from beyond the 3-point line (.321). The Husky defense has allowed opponents to post a 45.4 shooting percentage (427-of-940) and a 34.0 clip from 3-point land (114-of-335) and their foes are averaging 77.0 points, 34.4 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 7.2 steals and 3.0 blocks per game.

Thursday's game between New Orleans and Houston Baptist marks the 14th meeting between the two teams on the hardwood and the Privateers hold a slight 7-6 advantage in the all-time series. Since joining the Southland Conference for the 2013-14 campaign, UNO is 1-2 against the Huskies with the last two games – both losses – being decided by a total of just five points.

The Privateers won the first three head-to-head matchups with the Huskies, including a 92-74 decision in the Human Performance Center back on Dec. 20, 1969, in the program's seventh intercollegiate contest and fifth overall win in school history. After playing six times during UNO's first four seasons, the series went on hiatus until Dec. 13, 2008, when New Orleans earned a 77-73 road victory.

In conference action, the Privateers won the inaugural showdown with a 79-66 decision on Jan. 23, 2014, in Sharp Gym before losing 74-73 on Jan. 17, 2015, in Houston and 73-69 last Jan. 16 in Lakefront Arena.

For tickets to Thursday's UNO/HBU contest, as well as future Privateer events, contact the UNO Athletics Ticket Office over the phone at (504) 280-GAME (4263) or via the Internet by clicking HERE.