NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Privateers women's basketball team gears up for a pair of critical home games this week as they face Nicholls on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and McNeese on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Both games will be carried on ESPN+. The game against Nicholls will be celebrating Black History Month and the contest against McNeese will be the Privateers' annual Play 4 Kay game in support of breast cancer fighters and survivors.
New Orleans is coming off a tough road week that saw two losses at UIW and HCU. In the latter, the Privateers were ahead for most of the contest but HCU went on a 19-5 run in the last six minutes to surge ahead for the victory. Three Privateers scored in double figures.
Jasmine Jones returned from injury on 1/25 against HCU. That day, Jones had five points in 24 minutes. In the last two contests, Jones has scored 43 total points in the last three games. Jones also has six made triples and is shooting 48 percent from three-point range this season.
Nora Francois has racked up the rejections in bunches since her return to the court. Francois has 11 blocks in the last four games after recording nine in her first 13 games. Currently, Francois is seventh in the Southland in blocks per game (1.2).
Brianna Ellis made her return to the court on Jan. 11, 2024 against Southeastern. She has played in nine games with six starts in that stretch. Ellis has made 50 percent of her field goals (14-of-28) and has three games with five or more rebounds including a season-high seven against HCU on Jan. 25.
The Privateers nearly pulled off a grandstand rally in the first meeting against Nicholls in Thibodaux on Dec. 22. Trailing by as many as 20 points, the Privateers took a lead with two minutes remaining before they eventually fell 65-61. Three Privateers scored in double figures that day (
Nora Francois-16,
Gabbi Cartagena-14,
Jayla Kimbrough-11).
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
Nicholls (15-8, 8-6) is also coming off an 0-2 week with losses to Northwestern State and East Texas A&M. The Colonels are fifth in the Southland in field goal percentage and opponent field goal percentage. Deonna Brister is the league's leading three-point shooter among all qualifying players. Brister is shooting 47.6 percent from long distance. Tanita Swift is the team's leading scorer at 14.4 points per game.
McNeese (8-16, 3-10) is looking to snap a four-game losing streak. The Cowgirls' last win came on Jan. 27 when they defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 59-54. Paris Guillory made her season debut on Dec. 8 and has been the Cowgirls' leading scorer at 15.4 points per game. Guillory had a season-high 26 against Northwestern State.
BLUES ON TUES. NEWSLETTER
To keep up with all athletics news at the University of New Orleans, subscribe
here for our weekly newsletter.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow
@PrivateersWBB on Twitter/X,
@PrivateersWBB on Instagram, and like
/PrivateersWBB on Facebook.
