NEW ORLEANS – With four games remaining and the top spot in the Southland Conference within distance, the defending champion University of New Orleans (13-12, 10-4 Southland) hosts its second to last home game of the season Saturday at 4:15 p.m. McNeese State University (9-14, 6-7 Southland) enters Lakefront Arena on the Privateers' Allstate Sugar Bowl Homecoming Game and Senior Day.
Prior to the game, seniors
Michael Zeno,
Makur Puou,
Travin Thibodeaux and
Matthew Jiles will be honored for their contributions to the program. Three of the seniors are four-year members.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Game Notes:
http://unoprivateers.com/sports/2017/11/6/mens-basketball-game-notes.aspx
Live Stats:
http://sidearmstats.com/uno/mbball/
Watch:
http://unoprivateers.com/watch/
Social Media
Twitter:
@PrivateersMBB
Instagram:
@PrivateersMBB
Facebook:
/PrivateersMBB
TIP-OFF
• New Orleans hosts McNeese in its Homecoming Game and Senior Day Feb. 17 at 4:15 p.m.
• Prior to the men's game, the Privateers will honor
Michael Zeno,
Makur Puou,
Travin Thibodeaux and
Matthew Jiles for their contributions to the men's basketball program.
• Three of the five seniors are four-year members under head coach
Mark Slessinger.
• The next win will be the 800th of the program and 350th at Lakefront Arena.
• Local product
Lamont Berzat scored 11 points - nine from three-point range - at Southeastern Louisiana Wednesday. Freshman (St. Rose)
Troy Green came off the bench with 13 points.
• With four games remaining, the Privateers are currently tied for fourth in the Southland Conference with Wednesday's opponent, Sam Houston State.
• There's one home game left on the docket - the regular season finale and rematch with the Lions.
•
Travin Thibodeaux ranks fourth in scoring with 16.3 points per game and his 54.5 percent is good for third.
• Cowboys' Quatarrius Wilson leads the conference in rebounding with 10.4 boards per contest.
• The last times these two teams met,
Bryson Robinson scored a career-high 31 points in an overtime victory in Lake Charles, La.
•
Next Up: at Sam Houston State, Wednesday, February 21.
ABOUT NEW ORLEANS
Four seniors are playing in their second to last home game Saturday -
Michael Zeno,
Makur Puou,
Travin Thibodeaux and
Matthew Jiles.
Thibodeaux leads the team in scoring (16.3), field goal percentage (54.5), rebounding (5.8), steals (1.4), blocks (1.1) and tied with
Bryson Robinson in assists (2.8).
Lamont Berzat scored 11 points with three triples at Southeastern Louisiana Wednesday and the Privateers nearly erased a 25-point deficit. A 9-0 run early in the second spearheaded the comeback hopes but the Lions were able to take round one.
ABOUT MCNEESE
Quatarrius Wilson is averaging a double-double with 10.7 points and 10.4 rebounds. He is one of four players in double figures for the Cowboys. Kalob Ledoux is tops with 15.5 points and adds 4.5 rebounds, Jarren Greenwood follows with 13.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists, and James Harvey chips in 11.7 points per contest.
THE SERIES
New Orleans has won the previous three matchups, including an 82-75 overtime victory in Lake Charles earlier this year.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
Overall: 11-7
Home: 8-2 (6-1 at LA; 2-1 at HPC) | Away: 4-5 | Neutral: 0-0 | OT: 1-2 | Southland: 5-4 | Streak: W3
11/29/75 H/2 W 80-66
01/03/77 A L 64-68
02/26/77 H W 71-65
01/10/81 A L 68-70 (OT)
01/15/81 H L 71-75 (OT)
02/02/87 H W 83-70
11/28/87 H W 98-62
02/22/88 A W 81-79
01/03/00 H W 62-60
01/04/14 A * L 69-82
02/16/14 H * L 69-72
01/31/15 A * L 61-68
02/09/15 H * W 81-71
01/30/16 H * W 76-64
02/11/16 A * L 76-87
01/26/17 H * W 75-56
02/09/17 A * W 69-63
01/06/18 A * W 82-75 (OT)
* – Southland Conference game
2 – New Orleans Classic
TAKE A SHOT AT THE THRONE
After winning a championship, everyone circles your name on the calendar. The defending conference champions must reverse the trend with the toughest end to the regular season as the Privateers are scheduled for road games at Sam Houston State (tied for fourth with UNO) and league leading Nicholls and a home slate versus second place Southeastern Louisiana.
EVERYBODY WANTS THE KING
Mardi Gras is over but New Orleans is still the reigning King. With the four remaining games, the Privateers still have a shot of going back-to-back. A reminder that teams that receive the top two seeds in the Southland Conference Tournament receive a double bye and seeds No. 3 and 4 get a bye. No. 5 will take on No. 8 and No. 6 plays No. 7 on day one in Katy, Texas.
TALE OF HALVES
Down 40-17 at the half Wednesday, New Orleans chipped away at the deficit in a hurry, going on a 9-0 run early on in the second stanza. The Southeastern Louisiana lead was cut to seven before the Lions escaped Valentine's Day with a W.
LAST TIME THEY MET
Bryson Robinson went 10-of-13 and 7-of-8 from three-point range to finish with 31 points, eight rebounds and four assists as the University of New Orleans (7-8, 4-0 Southland) remained undefeated in conference action, defeating McNeese State University (5-9, 2-2 Southland), 82-75, in overtime at Burton Coliseum.
Robinson's seven threes were the most since Christavious Gill drained eight versus Northwestern State University March 5, 2016 and the 31 points tied Erik Thomas' mark in last season's opening victory versus LaGrange College (Nov. 11).
Travin Thibodeaux added 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks and
Michael Zeno came off the bench with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting and five rebounds.
Similar to Wednesday, New Orleans had to erase a deficit as the Privateers trailed the Cowboys by eight at the half.
WHATCHA KNOW ABOUT THAT
With four games remaining, New Orleans will be on ESPN3 or the Southland Conference Digital Network for three of them. Wednesday's game at Sam Houston State and Saturday's contest at Nicholls will be on ESPN3 and Feb. 28's bout versus the Lions will be streamed on the SLC Digital Network.
800 WATCH
The next win will be the 800th of the Privateer men's basketball program. New Orleans men's hoops is 799-606 since becoming a varsity sport in 1969-70.
SLESS REACHING THE CENTURY MARK
Head coach
Mark Slessinger is just 10 wins away from 100 in his Privateer career. With Saturday's 62-53 win at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Slessinger earned his 90th victory at the helm of UNO men's hoops.
DEFEND THE LAKEFRONT
New Orleans is 8-2 at Lakefront Arena with just two home games remaining this season.
BATTLE OF THE TOP
Louisiana is home of three of the top four teams in the Southland - specifically the short bus trip around New Orleans in Nicholls and Southeastern Louisiana.
DOUBLE DIGIT STRETCH FOR THIBODEAUX
Travin Thibodeaux is putting together his best offensive season as a Privateer. The Plaquemine native entered with zero 20 point games in three seasons and has 10 in 2017-18.
RECORD BOOK CHANGES
Privateer faithful have seen
Mark Slessinger move up the ranks this season with the seventh-year coach now second on the most games coached, 11 behind Ron Greene.
Most Games
211, Ron Greene, 1969-77
200,
Mark Slessinger, 2011-Present
ZEKE LEADS THE WAY in 3FG
Ezekiel Charles' 46.3 percent shooting from three-point range would be tops in the Southland Conference if the junior qualified.
IN THE RANKINGS
Below are the statistical categories the Privateers and their opponent are nationally-ranked in (top 50 only).
Thru 2/15/18
New Orleans
- Team
- Turnovers Forced per Game (22nd, 16.04)
McNeese
- Team
- Total Rebounds per Game (25th, 39.17)
- Fewest Fouls (28th, 411)
- Blocked Shots per Game (36th, 4.7)
- Defensive Rebounds per Game (44th, 27.48)
- Individual
- Quatarrius Wilson
- Offensive Rebounds per Game (14th, 3.57)
- Rebounds per Game (15th, 10.5)
- Double-Doubles (31st, 11)
- Defensive Rebounds per Game (33rd, 6.96)
- Total Rebounds (38th, 242)
- Total Assists (16th, 160)
- Assists per Game (17th, 6.2)
- Steals per Game (20th, 2.23)
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Week 1 - Nov. 13 - Kevon Harris, Stephen F. Austin (1)
Week 2 - Nov. 20 - Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas (1)
Week 3 - Nov. 27 - Marlain Veal, Southeastern Louisiana
Week 4 - Dec. 4 - Josh Ibarra, Houston Baptist
Week 5 - Dec. 11 - Kevon Harris, Stephen F. Austin (2)
Week 6 - Dec. 18 - Ivan Canete, Stephen F. Austin
Week 7 - Dec. 27 - Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas (2)
Week 8 - Jan. 2 - Josh Nzeakor, Lamar
Week 9 - Jan. 8 -
Bryson Robinson, New Orleans
Week 10 - Jan. 15 - Roddy Peters, Nicholls (1)
Week 11 - Jan. 22 - Nick Garth, Lamar
Week 12 - Jan. 29 - Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas (3)
Week 13 - Feb. 5 - Roddy Peters, Nicholls (2)
Week 14 - Feb. 12 - Jaren Lewis, Abilene Christian
Week 15 - Feb. 19 -
Week 16 - Feb. 26 -
Week 17 - March 5 -
NEXT UP
The Privateers head to Huntsville to face Sam Houston State University Wednesday on ESPN3.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow
@PrivateersMBB on Twitter,
@PrivateersMBB on Instagram, like
/PrivateersMBB on Facebook and subscribe to the
PrivateerAthletics YouTube channel.
