New Orleans, Louisiana- It was a festive evening at Lakefront Arena. The final home game for three seniors, the conference's leading scorer,
Randi Brown (Human Performance) made individual history and the University of New Orleans women's basketball team made history by not just reaching the Southland Conference Tournament for the first time, but earning the number four seed and with it, a first round bye in the gathering later this month in Katy, Texas.
The memorable night was made possible by a 102-87 drubbing of the University of Southeastern Louisiana (5-24,3-15), avenging a 15-point defeat at the hands of the Lady Lions in Hammond, Louisiana on Feb. 11.
"We didn't do a good job of guarding the three-point shot but we found a way to win and at this point of the season that's what makes the biggest difference," smiled head coach
Keeshawn Davenport.
Junior guard
Randi Brown blistered the nets for 41 points. She becomes the second player in UNO history to exceed 40 points more than once joining Privateer All American Sandra Hodge who exceeded the 40-point mark 3 times. Brown, from Houma, Louisiana, had a full stat sheet grabbing 6 rebounds, dishing 8 assists and 4 steals.
"She finished with 41 but she could have had 50," said Davenport. "I think she's sending a very loud message of how she's going to do her senior season. I'm very proud of her."
It was the final home game for seniors
Ariele Davis (Marketing),
Raven Coleman (Interdisciplinary Studies) and
Jewel Angelo (Interdisciplinary Studies). Coleman had 8 points and 6 rebounds while Angelo contributed 11 and 3 assists.
"We've just trusted the process and believed everything that coach has told us," said Angelo. We've faced a lot of adversity since freshman year but we've pushed through to try to become a winning program by giving all we've got every single day."
New Orleans (14-13,9-8) had the advantage for all but 2 minutes and 26 seconds of the game. They led after one period 23-14. The lead would reach 21 in the second quarter at the 4:32 mark when Brown canned a 3-pointer---one of five on the night---to make it 43-22.
However, the Lady Lions sliced into the lead with a 15-4 run before halftime and it was 47-37, New Orleans by 10 at the break.
The Privateers answered every SLU run in the third quarter. The margin would reach 19 at the end of the period thanks to a 15-point stanza by
Randi Brown. Sophomore center
Shania Woods (Accounting) had 8 of her 18 points during the 3
rd quarter. Woods was the game's leader in rebounds with 13 for her fourth double-double of the season.
Junior
Kayla Mundy (Human Performance) had 14 points off the bench on 6-of-9 shooting in 19 minutes of action.
UNO was 35-of-67 from the field for 52.2 percent. They forced 26 turnovers and scored 27 points off SLU's miscues.
The Privateers finish with a regular season home record of 10-4, the first time the program has reached double figure wins at home since the 2002-2003 season.
Taylin Underwood was the big gun for the Lady Lions with 36 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists in a losing cause.
The Privateers will close the regular season Saturday, Mar, 4, in Thibodaux, Louisiana against Nicholls State. Tipoff is slated for 1 p. m. New Orleans will head to Katy, Texas for the Southland Conference Tournament Mar. 10-13. For tickets to Privateer Athletics events, contact the UNO Athletics Ticket Office at (504) 280-GAME (4263) or via the Internet by clicking
HERE.
--www.UNOPrivateers.com--
