After McNeese led by as many as 19 in the second half, the Privateers' furious rally fell just short in Lake Charles, with New Orleans (6-11, 2-6) cutting the lead to three with under a minute left before falling 68-61.
Sophomore Christavious Gill led UNO with 16 points, and freshman Colton Weisbrod added 12.
In the first part of the doubleheader, the Privateer women dropped an 82-58 decision to McNeese.