SEVENTH-SEED NEW ORLEANS FACES TEXAS A&M-CC IN FIRST ROUND OF SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

Katy, Texas-  The New Orleans Privateers (12-15, 8-10 Southland) seeded 7^th will face the 6^th seeded Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (14-15, 8-10 Southland) in the first round of the 2019 Southland Conference Women's Basketball Tournament, Thursday, Mar. 14, in Katy, Texas.  Tipoff is 1:30 p. m.
 
It's the third consecutive year of postseason play for the Privateers, having reached the conference tournament in 2017 and 2018.  New Orleans was eliminated in the first round in two previous trips to the Merrell Center in Katy.
 
"The expectation is to no longer just get to Katy it's to stay in Katy, win in Katy and to go further than we have before," said head coach Keeshawn Davenport.
 
Third Team All-Southland Conference selection Shania Woods leads the way for UNO.  The senior center ranks 8^th in the Southland in scoring (14.2), 2^nd in rebounding (9.1) and 6th in field goal percentage.  The Houston, Texas native had 14 double-doubles (double figures in points and rebounds) this season.
 
The Privateers and the Islanders split their home-and-home dates this season.  Texas A&M-CC won at home of Jan.19, 57-51.  New Orleans wiped out a 19-point deficit to win in New Orleans on Whitley Larry's game-winning jumper, 56-54.
 
"I felt like we turned a corner during that game," said Davenport.  "We came together as a team that game and our relentlessness showed.  We dug a hole early but fought to come back and win the game by two.  But it's zero -to-zero now, what happened the first two games doesn't matter."
 
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will rely on junior forward Alexes Bryant (10.9) who made the Southland' All Defense Team and Dalesia Booth who averages 11.6 points a contest.
 
This won't be the first time New Orleans and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will hook up in the Southland Conference Tournament.  In 2017 the Islanders sent the Privateers home early with an 88-77 win in the first round.  During the regular season, UNO dominated A&M-Corpus Christi, 75-54 behind a single-game school-record 45-point performance by Randi Brown.
 
"There's four of them (Shania Woods, Asia Woods, Whitley Larry and Alyssa Quixley) that remember when we beat them by 21 here and they knocked us out the first time we made it to Katy.  They realize it's a matter of focusing and going out and getting the job done."
 
The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
The New Orleans-Texas A&M-CC winner will face number three seed and defending conference tournament champion Nicholls, Friday, March 15 at 1:30 p. m.
 
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