THIBODAUX, La. – The New Orleans Privateers commenced a fierce rally from a big deficit to take a late lead but the Nicholls Colonels got a go-ahead layup with 32 seconds left as they held on to win 65-61 on Sunday at Stohper Gymnasium.
New Orleans trailed by as many as 20 points with 6:30 left in the third quarter when they started the comeback. By the time the third quarter ended, New Orleans was only trailing by eight points.
The deficit was quickly trimmed down to two and the Privateers eventually took the lead on a
Gabbi Cartagena three-pointer with 3:49 remaining. New Orleans led by three after a driving layup by
Jayla Kimbrough with 1:19 left.
However, the Colonels responded when Elli Garnett hit a three-pointer to tie the game. After a turnover, Britiya Curtis scored on a layup to give the Colonels the lead. New Orleans had two missed shots and a turnover in their last three possessions of the game.
New Orleans got out to a 6-2 lead behind four quick points from
Nora Francois. However, Francois got called for her second foul at the 7:48 mark of the first quarter. The Colonels then went on a 16-0 run to take their lead up to a dozen near the end of the opening stanza.
New Orleans exhibited gritty, aggressive defense which created a few transition buckets that cut the Colonels lead down to 18-12 by the end of the first. Nicholls grew their lead back into double figures though with a six-point spurt to start the second.
Syria Butler hit a jumper in the final seconds of the half as the Privateers went to the locker room trailing 36-23.
INSIDE THE BOX
Cartagena had 14 points and four rebounds. Francois notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Kimbrough added 11 points and four steals.
Mackenzie Joseph finished with six points and nine rebounds.
NEXT UP
The Privateers return home to take on the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders on Thursday, Jan. 2 at 6:30 p.m.
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