NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Privateers men's basketball team looks to stay in the hunt for a top four seed with a pair of road games up next. The Privateers will travel to HCU on Saturday and follow with a trip to UIW on Monday.
New Orleans gutted out an overtime victory by an 84-78 score over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to put themselves back in a tie for fourth place in the Southland standings. The Privateers are tied with the Islanders and with Nicholls at 9-7 in league play. They split the season series against both teams.
The Privateers made 42 free throws against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Monday. It tied the record for most free throws set first in 1969 against West Florida and tied in 2014 against Nicholls. The Privateers have made 485 free throws to date, which leads the Southland. They rank 12th in the country in free throws made per game at 19.4.
Churchill Abass had four blocks against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, running his season total to 50 rejections. He ranks second in the Southland in blocks behind Jerald Colonel (SFA) who has 62. Abass currently has the eighth highest block total in a single season in program history. The next spot up on the list is held by Ervin Johnson (1989-90) who had 62 total blocks.
Coleton Benson and
Jakevion Buckley both rank in the top 10 in scoring in the Southland since conference play started. Benson is averaging 17.4 points per game against league opponents which is tied for first. Buckley ranks ninth in points per game since conference play started at 15.3 points per game.
Also, the Privateers have the best scoring offense in the league since conference play started at 78.8 points per game. New Orleans also has the fourth lowest opponent field goal percentage at 42.0.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
HCU defeated the Privateers in early December at the Lakefront 85-76. The Huskies had five players in double figures in that contest and shot 48.3 percent from the field. HCU finds themselves one game behind what is currently a four-way tie for the eighth and final spot in the conference tournament.
UIW is one of those teams tied for the final spot in the conference tournament with a mark of 5-11. The Cardinals have gone 8-3 at home contrasted with a 1-11 road mark. Tahj Staveskie is third in the league in scoring, averaging 16.9 points per game. Davion Bailey leads the league in three-pointers made at 76.
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