NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans women's basketball team sent their seniors off on a high note as the Privateers added another win to their conference program record with their 58-47 victory over visiting Southeastern in a Southland Conference contest at the Lakefront Arena on Saturday evening.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: New Orleans - 58, Southeastern - 47
LOCATION: Lakefront Arena – New Orleans, La.
RECORDS: New Orleans (17-12/13-7), Southeastern (12-17/9-11)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Senior guard
Rehema Franklin saved one of her best performances for last as the New Orleans native recorded a game-high 24 points to go with seven rebounds, one assist and one steal. Franklin hit 9-of-14 shots which included a mark of 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. The performance was her 19
th double-digit scoring output of the season along with being the ninth time that she has reached the 20-point plateau.
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Dionjhae Thomas chipped in 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting along with four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
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Jada Duncantell was a playmaker for the second game in a row as she finished with a season-high six assists. She also recorded eight points and a board and was a plus-16 for the game.
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Whitley Larry might have only had two points but she was a force on the defensive end of the court as she added eight rebounds, a game-high three blocks and two steals. The Rayne, La. native was a plus-23 for the contest over her almost 29 minutes of game time.
- Senior center
Kayla Thomas also posted a game-high three blocks. She also scored five points in just over 12 minutes of play.
- New Orleans jumped out to an early 22-8 lead after the first quarter of play.
- Southeastern battled back in the second as the team recorded a 18-9 edge as the Privateers took a 31-26 lead into the half.
- Whatever New Orleans talked about in the locker room worked to perfect as the Privateers won the third by a 12-3 margin. The group held Southeastern to a 1-of-14 mark from the field in the quarter.
- New Orleans then cruised in the fourth to its 58-47 victory.
NOTABLES
- With the victory, New Orleans added another win to their conference record win total. The Privateers now have 13 Southland victories, the most conference wins in a single-season in school history.
COACHES CORNER
FOR THE FOES
- Both Caitlyn Williams and Celica Sterling tied with a team-high 11 points. Williams posted a double-double as she added 17 rebounds. Sterling chipped in six rebounds and three assists.
- Jyar Francis scored eight points to go along with three boards.
NEXT UP
The Privateers will be the fifth seed in the upcoming Southland Conference Women's Basketball Tournament. New Orleans will take to the court for its opening round matchup against a familiar foe in Southeastern on Thursday, March 12 at 11 AM. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
