UNO Rally Falls Short in Opener

Gerrale Gates
goes up in traffic

The preseason Southland favorite Privateers (4-6, 0-1) got a cold dose of reality in Wednesday night's conference opener at Lakefront Arena, falling to last year's champ, Abilene Christian, by a 77-71 score.

At times the contest resembled the beating UNO took in last year's title game, with the Wildcats opening a 60-46 lead after a dominant stretch of the second half.  But New Orleans rallied with 10 in a row to get back in it and fought closely down the stretch, ultimately being done in by its sloppiness, failure to get key stops, and inability to finish around the rim.

Troy Green led the Bucs with 19 points, and Jaylen Key added 16 before fouling out with just over four minutes left.  Ahren Freeman had 14 on 6-for-6 shooting to give a much-needed spark over the last 10 minutes.

The game was a turnover fest, with each team committing a whopping 22.

The Privateers next travel to Sam Houston State on Saturday.