NEW ORLEANS, La.- At the halfway point of the Southland Conference schedule, the New Orleans (6-14, 3-6 SLC) men's basketball program sits at eighth in the league standings and will open the second half of the schedule on the Lakefront against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (14-8, 6-3 SLC) Thursday at 7:00 p.m. and UIW (10-12, 4-5 SLC) Saturday at 4 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN + and NASH 106.1 FM with Jude Young and Tic Price calling the action.
Thursday will be Greek Night at the Lakefront. All Greeks are encouraged to wear their letters and students will have a chance to win free pizza for an entire year at halftime. Saturday will be Faculty and Staff Appreciation. We will also have Academic Honors Night on Saturday to recognize our student-athletes who achieved a 3.0 GPA or better last semester.
New Orleans remains the conference leader in three-point percentage at 39.2 and is averaging 71.3 points per game on 46.1% shooting, including 39.2% from above the arc. Their opponents average 80.2 points per game on the year and hit 48.4% from the field, including 37% from outside the arc.
Jordan Johnson leads the nation in three-point field goal percentage at nearly 50% shooting (.492). He's hit 65-of-132 shots from beyond the arc which converts to a 49.2 percent clip. Johnson is seventh in the NCAA in three pointers made per game (3.42) and 29th in the NCAA in total three pointers made (65). Johnson leads the Privateers in scoring with 17 points per game and 19 PPG in SLC play. In the conference, Johnson is first in points per game, third in minutes played per game (32:53), and fifth in field goal percentage (45.9), free throw percentage (80.6), assists per game (4.3), and assist to turnover ratio (1.76)
Simeon Kirkland looks to go three in a row in double digit rebounding. Kirkland had a double-double at SLU with a season-high 16 points and 11 rebounds, and on the Lakefront against SLU, he grabbed ten boards and five points. The senior ranks nine in double-doubles in the conference with three this season. Kirkland leads the Privateers with 5.5 rebounds per game and 7.7 over the conference slate.
Tyson Jackson joins Johnson in averaging double-digit scoring at 11.2 points per game. The junior is shooting 73.2% at 41-of-56 from the field.
The Privateers and Islanders played January 14 in Corpus Christi, Tx. with A&M-Corpus Christi winning 97-79 behind Trevian Tennyson's 28 points. Johnson led the New Orleans with 17 points in the loss.
The Islanders are coming off a two-game win streak after defeating Nicholls (96-86) and McNeese (83-72). Terrion Murdix averaged 16.0 points, 12.0 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in the victories. The Islanders have four student-athletes averaging in double-figures to include Isaac Mushila, who averages 15.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, and Trevian Tennyson, who scores 14.5 points per game.
New Orleans is going for the season sweep over UIW. In the first meeting, the Privateers fought into OT to defeat UIW 85-79 behind Tyson Jackson's career-high 22 points.
The Cardinals have won their last four games in a row to move up to sixth place in the Southland Conference standings. It marks the longest win streak against Division I opponents in school history. Their last time on the hardwood was a 69-67 victory over Nicholls in which Trey Miller and Jonathan Cisse co-led with 16 points apiece.
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