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GAME NOTES: UNO | UTRGV
NEW ORLEANS – A pair of Southland Conference matchups are on tap for the University of New Orleans men's Basketball Team (2-11, 0-2 Southland) over the next three days. Returning home for the first time in 57 days, the Privateers will host UTRGV (9-4, 1-1 Southland) on Saturday evening at Lakefront Arena before hosting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (8-6, 1-1 Southland) on Monday night at 6:30 p.m.
James White continues to lead the Privateers and the Southland in scoring at 19.1 points per game after scoring 18 against Vanderbilt on Monday. White has scored in double-figures in 12 of his 13 games at UNO and has a league-leading seven games of 20 or more points. His three double-doubles this season are tied for the most in the conference.
The senior also leads the conference in rebounding at 7.8 per game and defensive rebounds per game at 6.48 per outing. Freshman
MJ Thomas is fifth in the league in rebounding with 6.8 rebounds per game and ranks first in the league with 3.3 offensive rebounds per game. The Privateers are the only Southland school with two rebounders inside the league's top five, and rank No. 67 in the NCAA in offensive rebounds per game at 12.55 while Thomas checks in at No. 27.
SCOUTING THE VAQUEROS
UTRGV enters Saturday afternoon's contest with a 9-4 record and a 1-1 mark in Southland play. The Vaqueros have won four straight games but have yet to win on the road this season with losses at Nebraska, then-No. 15 Creighton, and Wisconsin.
They are eighth in the NCAA in assists per game at 18.9, 19th in fast-break scoring at 16.31 points per game, second in three-point attempts per game at 35.4, and fourth in made three-pointers at 11.8.
Cliff Davis is the reigning Southland Player of the Week after knocking down 14 three-pointers against Biblical Studies — the most in the NCAA in six seasons — and both a UTRGV and Southland record. His 42 points were a career-best and tied for the second-most in the NCAA this season. He averages 3.83 made three-pointers per game, which ranks fourth in the NCAA, and is 17th in the NCAA in total three-pointers made with 46.
All-time, the Privateers are 29-10 against UTRGV, including games against Texas-Pan American. Texas-Pan American merged with UT-Brownsville in 2013 to become UTRGV. The two teams last met in the first round of the 2018 CBI, a 77-74 win for the Privateers.
SCOUTING THE ISLANDERS
The Islanders, 8-6 overall and 1-1 in the Southland, play at Southeastern on Saturday afternoon before making the trip to New Orleans on Monday. Like the Vaqueros, they are still looking for their first road win of the season after losses at Purdue, New Mexico, New Mexico State, and Hawaii.
Corpus Christi shoots the ball extremely well, making 50.9% of its shots – the ninth-best percentage in the NCAA. The Islanders also score 40 points a game off the bench – the fourth most in the NCAA. Defensively, they force 16.07 turnovers per game, good for 24th in the NCAA.
Garry Clark leads the Islanders in scoring and rebounding at 14.5 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game. He ranks 26th in the NCAA in field goal percentage, making almost 61% of his field goal attempts.
All-time, the Privateers are 17-13 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, including a 10-4 mark in New Orleans. The teams split last year's meetings, with each team winning at home.
COVERAGE INFORMATION
Both games will air on
ESPN+. Saturday's contest will have free audio available on
UNOPrivateers.com, and Monday's game will be broadcast on
The Ticket 106.1 FM. Updates will also be provided on @PrivateersHoops on
X (formerly Twitter) throughout both games.
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