The New Orleans Privateers men’s basketball team is set to host two upcoming home games at Lakefront Arena. The Privateers will face Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, followed by a matchup against Lamar on Monday night.
Earlier this week, New Orleans (6-11, 4-4) secured a close victory over Southeastern with a last-second three-pointer from Coleton Benson. Benson finished the game with over 30 points for the second time this season. His shot, which went in with just 0.1 seconds left, marked the first time since February 2007 that the Privateers took the lead in the final second of regulation.
The team made 31 free throws out of 39 attempts during their win against Southeastern, setting a new season high for points scored at the line. The last time New Orleans reached that number was in December 2022 against Dillard. Currently, they are ranked second in the Southland Conference for team free throw percentage at 75.9%.
Churchill Abass recorded five blocks during Monday’s game, bringing his season total to 30. With 14 regular season games remaining, Abass is approaching entry into the program’s top ten single-season block leaders.
Stephen F. Austin (14-3, 7-1), one of New Orleans’ upcoming opponents, is tied for first place in the Southland standings and leads the conference in scoring defense while ranking second in offense. Keon Thompson leads their scoring with an average of 16.8 points per game.
Lamar (9-8, 4-4) shares fifth place in the standings with New Orleans and Northwestern State and ranks third in rebounding margin within the conference. Players Rob Lee Jr. and Andrew Holifield are among the top scorers in the league; Holifield also ranks second for blocked shots per game.
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