BEAUMONT, Texas – The New Orleans Privateers women's basketball team gave a heavy boost to their chances to make the Southland Tournament with a 62-61 win against the Lamar Cardinals on Saturday at the Montagne Center.
DeArica Pryor gave the Privateers the lead in the waning seconds of the first half and had an encore in the second half. Pryor drove the left side of the lane and scored a layup with 6.1 seconds remaining to give New Orleans the lead.
The Privateers forced Lamar (17-11, 11-6) into a contested baseline jumper from Sabria Dean that missed as the horn sounded. New Orleans stopped the Cardinals' winning streak at seven games and swept the season series with the victory.
It was a grueling game that was tightly contested throughout with 12 lead changes. The Cardinals got out to a 21-14 lead with 4:47 left in the first half.
From there though, the Privateers went on an 11-3 run. They held Lamar to 1-for-6 from the field with two turnovers in that stretch. On the other end of the floor, Pryor beat the buzzer with a three-pointer to put New Orleans up 25-24.
Starting the fourth quarter down two, New Orleans rattled off the first eight points of the final stanza. Pryor,
Zoe Cooper and
Tara Green all made shots in that stretch to give the Privateers a 50-44 advantage.
The Cardinals fought back though and grabbed the lead with a triple from Portia Adams. That set the stage for the final moments as New Orleans moved into a tournament spot with the victory.
New Orleans (8-18, 7-10) is now in a three-way tie for sixth with Northwestern State and McNeese. A win would guarantee a spot in the eight-team field in Lake Charles.
INSIDE THE BOX
Pryor scored 25 points on 11-of-22 from the field. She also added three assists and three steals. Green posted another double-double with 13 points and 13 boards.
Justice Ross finished with eight points and six rebounds.
Nora Francois returned to the court and had three steals and three rebounds in 11 minutes.
Lamar was led by Adams' 21 points and Akasha Davis' 20 points. Malay McQueen also reached double figures with 10 points.
NEXT UP
The Privateers will travel to McNeese on Wednesday, Mar. 1. Tip is scheduled for 5 p.m.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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