Conway, Arkansas- The University of New Orleans women's basketball team outscored Central Arkansas 14-3 in the third quarter and senior
Halie Matthews hit a season-high 15 points off the bench as the Privateers snapped the Sugar Bears' 8-game winning streak with a 52-48 road win Wednesday night in Conway, Arkansas.
New Orleans (8-10, 4-3 SLC) handed Central Arkansas (13-5, 6-1 SLC) its first defeat of the season in Southland Conference play.
The victory was the second consecutive road win in conference for UNO. They defeated McNeese in Lake Charles on January 6, 77-64.
For Matthews, a senior from Harvey, Louisiana, it was her second game back from a broken ankle suffered in November against Miami. She was 6-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the 3-point arch. The product of West Jefferson High School also grabbed 4 rebounds, blocked 3 shots and had 2 steals.
"Halie played great. We all thought she was out for the year but it was miraculous the way she came back from the injury. The doctors are surprised at how fast her ankle has healed. She's back and is ready to finish her senior season strong," said head coach
Keeshawn Davenport.
FIRST QUARTER
Central Arkansas led at the end of the first period by one, 12-11. All five New Orleans starters scored in the quarter. UNO's largest lead was five, at 7-2, on a layup by
Shania Woods (9 points-9 rebounds) at the 6:36 mark.
SECOND QUARTER
The first half ended with Central Arkansas leading by two, 28-26, after outscoring New Orleans in the second quarter by one, 16-15. The Privateers got 5 points from the Southland's scoring leader
Randi Brown and 5 points by senior
Halie Matthews off the bench. Cold shooting plagued both teams as UNO was 10-of-28 (35.7%) and UCA was 9-of-26 (34.6%). Brown led UNO in scoring with 7. Kamry Orr, who picked up three fouls in the first half, paced the Sugar Bears in the first half with 11.
THIRD QUARTER
The Privateers took control of the game in the third quarter outscoring the Sugar Bears 14-3. 8 of the points came from the bench thanks to two 3-pointers by Matthews and a layup by freshman Dionjihae Thomas. It was tied at 31 when New Orleans went on a 9-0 run ending the third with a nine-point, 40-31 Privateer lead.
FOURTH QUARTER
The run continued in the final stanza as New Orleans scored the first four points of the fourth on a jumper by Matthews and a layup by
Mariah Wright, giving New Orleans it's largest lead of the game at 13, 44-31. Central Arkansas would close the lead to three on two occasions, 46-43 on a layup by Taylor Baudoin and 48-45 thanks to a jumper by Kierra Jordan. However, at the 2:54 mark, Hallie Matthews scored on a layup to make it 50-45 Privateers as they coasted the rest of the way for the win.
BY THE NUMBERS
The game marked the sixth time this season that
Randi Brown, the nation's fifth leading scorer, who had 12 points on the night, did not lead the Privateers in scoring.
Shania Woods (2),
Asia Woods (1),
Mariah Wright (1),
Kayla Mundy (1) and
Halie Matthews (1) have paced UNO in scoring this season.
New Orleans held Central Arkansas to 33.3% shooting (17-of-51).
UNO outscored UCA in points-of turnovers 23-12 and points-in-the-paint, 28-20.
The Privateers won the battle-of-the-benches, 20-14.
Freshman
Dionjhae Thomas, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, had career-highs of 5 points and 10 minutes of play against Central Arkansas
COACH'S QUOTES
"Of course the third quarter was big but we gave ourselves an opportunity to be in the game with the first and second quarters. We didn't let the game get out of hand by playing good defense and knocked down some shots."
"We did to them what they do to other people by holding them down below their scoring average. Kamry Orr (UCA's leading scorer) got some travel calls on her early that frustrated her and she got in foul trouble with three fouls in the first half so she couldn't start the third quarter.
UP NEXT
The Privateers return home Saturday, January 20 to face Incarnate Word at Lakefront Arena. It's part of a Privateer doubleheader and is billed as "Load The Lakefront". The women's game will start at 4 p. m. followed by the men's game against Incarnate Word at 6:15. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN3.
Be sure to follow
@UNOPrivateers on Twitter,
@UNOPrivateers on Instagram, like
/UNOPrivateers on Facebook and subscribe to the
PrivateerAthletics YouTube channel.
--www.UNOPrivateers.com--
