The New Orleans Privateers men’s basketball team saw their recent run halted with a 95-76 loss to the UTRGV Vaqueros on Saturday evening at Lakefront Arena. The defeat ended the Privateers’ winning streak as UTRGV extended theirs to seven games.
UTRGV established an early lead, making 10 of their first 15 shots. Despite the Privateers hitting six consecutive field goals during one stretch, they still trailed by eight points. The Vaqueros continued their offensive momentum, sinking eight three-pointers in the first half and holding a 51-34 advantage at halftime. By that point, three UTRGV players had already reached double figures in scoring.
The second half began with two quick three-pointers from UTRGV, increasing their lead to 23 points. The margin grew as large as 31 before the final buzzer. UTRGV finished with 13 made three-pointers and dominated the rebounding battle, out-rebounding New Orleans 42-27 and grabbing 17 offensive rebounds compared to eight for the Privateers.
Filip Brankovic led all scorers with 24 points for UTRGV. Koree Cotton contributed 21 points while Marvin McGhee added 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
For New Orleans, Jakevion Buckley paced the offense with 23 points on nine-of-13 shooting, along with seven rebounds and four assists. TJ Cope and Coleton Benson each scored 11 points. Hercy Miller registered his first points as a Privateer, finishing with four, while Churchill Abass added eight points.
The Privateers will return to action on Monday when they host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Lakefront Arena.
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