Privateers Extend Win Streak To 3, Outlasting Texas Southern, 72-69

New Orleans- The University of New Orleans women's basketball team will head into the Christmas break with a three-game win streak.  Behind the scoring of Randi Brown, the Southland Conference Player of the Week, a double-double performance by Shania Woods and bench scoring by Alyssa Quixley, New Orleans (4-7) defeated Texas Southern (5-5), Thursday night at Lakefront Arena, 72-69.
 
Brown, who was also voted player of the week by the Louisiana Sportswriters Association, canned 25 points and was a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line.  Shania Woods, a junior from Houston Texas, had 19-points and 10 rebounds and Quixley, a sophomore guard, had a season-high 11 points.
 
Joyce Kennerson of Texas Southern entered the game as the nation's scoring leader averaging 26.6 points a game.  She finished with 22 on the night, 4 below her average, on 8-of-24 from the field including 1-of-8 from beyond the 3-point arch.
 
"I always remind these ladies that basketball is a game of runs," said head coach Keeshawn Davenport.  "I just encourage them not to hang their heads because that was a good basketball team on the other end of that court.  I'm just proud that they sustained and we believe that we have given up the two games at Lakefront Arena that we are going to lose this year. We don't plan on losing too many more at home."
 
FIRST QUARTER
 
 An early 10-4 Privateer lead was wiped out quickly by the Lady Tigers with a 7-0 run in a mere 1:03.  However, UNO took control of the second five minutes of the quarter.  Three Privateers handled all of the scoring---Randi Brown had 9, Shania Woods 8 and Kayla Mundy 5 for a 22-16 lead.  New Orleans was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
 
 
SECOND QUARTER
 
 Texas Southern won the second quarter 14-12 but New Orleans went into the half with a 34-30 advantage.  Three different Privateers did all of the scoring as Mariah Wright canned two 3-pointers for six points, Alyssa Quixley was 2-for-2 from the field for 4 points and Asia Woods, who had 3 fouls in the first half, had 2 points.  Balanced scoring was the key as four players tallied at least five points in the first half.
 
THIRD QUARTER
 
 New Orleans stretched the lead to 10 points with an 8-2 run thanks to three baskets by Brown and a Shania Woods layup making it 42-32.  But the Lady Tigers would storm back to take the lead 44-42 keyed by a 3 pointer from Kennerson, a layup by Kaitlyn Palmer and consecutive 3 pointers by Palmer who finished with 20 on the night.  The Privateers went on an 8-0 run to regain the lead.  Shania Woods had five straight to give UNO 47-44 lead.  The period would end with UNO leading by two, 54-52.
 
FOURTH QUARTER
 
 There were 4 lead changes in the first 2:45 of the fourth quarter.  But a 10-0 run by New Orleans made it 67-58, a 9-point lead, as Shania Woods and Alyssa Quixley contributed 4 points each during the run. Quixley had 7 points in the quarter.
 
With 1:45 to go in regulation, a Camille Mills basket brought the Lady Tigers to within three, 69-66.  A Randi Brown 3-point play stretched the lead to 6 at 72-66 with :53 seconds to go.  TSU wouldn't go away, a 3-pointer by Kaitlyn Palmer with :45 seconds to go made it 72-69.
 
Shania Woods was whistled for a traveling violation with 1:5 seconds to go and a desperation 3 pointer by TSU was off the mark to end the contest.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
 
 Shania Woods played all 40 minutes of the contest---a season high.
 
Asia Woods fouled out with only six points but contributed 8 big rebounds.
 
The Privateers showed why they are among the leaders in the Southland Conference in free throw percentage hitting 13-of-14, 92.9 percent.
 
Sophomore forward Whitley Larry had a season-high 2 blocks.
 
The Privateers won: points-in-the-paint (42-36), points-off-turnovers (24-22), second chance points (15-4) and fast break points (16-14).
 
Randi Brown needs 47 points to surpass Carvie Upshaw as the second-leading scorer in UNO women's basketball history.
 
 UP NEXT
 
 New Orleans will take a break for Christmas and will return to action on Thursday, December 28, at Lakefront Arena with the start of Southland Conference play against Abilene Christian.  Tipoff is set for 7 p. m.
SOCIAL MEDIA
 
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