NEW ORLEANS - The defending league champion McNeese Cowboys jumped out to a 23-point lead in the second half before the New Orleans Privateers battled back to within seven points before falling 78-64 in a Southland Conference matchup Saturday evening inside Lakefront Arena.
The Privateers matched a season high with 10 three pointers in 21 attempts but the Cowboys benefitted from 20 turnovers to secure the season series sweep.
New Orleans (4-22, 2-13) held a three-point lead past the midway point of the opening half before McNeese created separation with a 9-0 run featuring a couple of buckets at the rim by senior Christian Shumate, who finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. The Cowboys held the Privateers scoreless for the final 4:34 of the first half to take a 42-25 advantage into the break.
The McNeese lead expanded to 23 on a T'John Brown lay-up with 12:43 remaining but UNO responded with a 13-0 run. Three-pointers by
JR Jacobs and
Kohen Rowbatham were followed by
Leland Coleman's three with 9:26 to go to make it 58-48.
Luke Davis buried his second three-pointer of the season with a little less than seven minutes left, drawing UNO within seven at 62-55 but the Cowboys managed to pull away to their sixth road win in SLC play.
McNeese (20-6, 14-1) was led by guard DJ Richards, Jr., who posted a game-high 21 points including 6-of-9 from behind the arc. Richards also scored 21 in the first game this season between the teams, helping secure the home-and-home sweep.
The deep Cowboys bench was a decisive factor. Brandon Murray tallied 17 points with a game-high four blocks while Sincere Parker chipped in 11 points.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Playing on his birthday, Coleman notched a team-high 15 points. The freshman forward added five rebounds, two blocked shots and a career-high four assists.
Two other UNO players scored in double figures including Jacobs, who managed career highs in scoring with 14 points and rebounds with seven. The sophomore point guard, playing all 40 minutes, drilled three from behind the arc in a game for the first time since the season opener at Kansas State.
Rowbatham scored in double figures for the fifth straight outing as the freshman guard finished with 14 points and nailed a career-best four triples. Davis, a senior forward, contributed a season-high eight points with seven boards.
NEXT UP
New Orleans continues a four-game homestand Monday against Nicholls at 6:30 p.m.
