NEW ORLEANS, La - An electrifying 40 points from
Jordan Johnson helped New Orleans men's basketball overcome Texas A&M Corpus Christi in 83-80 victory at Lakefront Arena Saturday afternoon. The Privateers improved to to 7-9 overall and 2-1 in the Southland Conference.
Johnson is the eighth men's basketball player in Privateer history to score 40 points in a single game and is tied for sixth most in program history. The senior out of Memphis, Tennessee is the first Privateer to hit 40 points since Jamie McNeily in 2007.
In two games this week, Johnson averages 38 points per game to help New Orleans to three-point home wins.
James Glisson III and
Mason Jones were also in double-figures with 11 points a piece. It marked Jones' second consecutive game in double figures with seven coming in the late stages of the contest . Glisson was perfect from all angles, shooting two-of-two from the field, one-of-one from deep, and six-of-six from the foul line with four clutch free throws in the final 19 seconds.
The first half was all about Johnson who scored 28 points to help the Privateers overcome an early deficit and take an 11-point advantage into the locker room, 46-35. His scoring explosion included 9-of-12 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from deep. The Privateers shot 50% from the field shooting 6-9 from deep and 8-10 from the foul line while holding Corpus Christi to 42% from the field with no made threes before the break.
The second half was a nail-bitter that saw eight lead changes. The Privateers remained steadfast on defense, however, as they forced six turnovers in the half.
As a team, New Orleans was 22-of-26 from the foul line after halftime and 30-of-36 overall.
The game boiled down to free throws. With Corpus Christi having a two-point lead, Johnson reached his 40th point with two made foul shots to knot the game at 78. Glisson III and
Jah Short made trips to the foul-line to knock down three more shots and give New Orleans the 81-78 advantage. Lance Amir-Paul, who finished with 16 points for the Islanders, responded with a made layup with nine seconds on the clock. Another foul by the Islanders brought Glisson III back to the line to seal the victory as he sank two more free-throws before Amir-Paul's potential trying three-pointer missed the mark.
NEXT UP: The Privateers will head to Thibodaux, La. for their road conference opener Monday. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
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