UNO tops Incarnate Word

The New Orleans Privateers women’s basketball team (4-7, 1-1 Southland) snapped a four-game losing skid with clutch free throws in a 55-49 victory against the Incarnate Word Cardinals (3-10, 0-2) Thursday at the Lakefront Arena.
With New Orleans holding just a two-point lead in the final minute, the Cardinals committed three straight fouls, which kept resetting the shot clock.
Then, in the final 25 seconds, Incarnate Word was forced to foul. Danielle Davis stepped to the line first and hit a pair of clutch free throws. Kayla Mundy then came up seconds later and drilled two free throws to help seal the win.
The Privateers played from mostly ahead and led by as many as 11 at one point in the third quarter.
Incarnate Word kept coming back, though, and worked the game into a tie with 5:03 left.
New Orleans’ defense knuckled down and got four straight stops after that point and forced 24 Incarnate Word turnovers for the game.
Both teams struggled to score early as the Privateers notched the game’s first point at the free throw line with 7:58 left in the first quarter. New Orleans’ defense set the tone early as its shooting percentage continued to rise throughout the first half.
The Privateers scored on three of four possessions late in the first and took an 11-9 lead after 10 minutes.
The Privateers steadily edged their lead to as many as eight, leading 19-11 with 6:14 left.
However, the Cardinals responded with six straight points to cut the lead back to two.
Though the game remained in single digits, New Orleans never trailed throughout the second and took a 28-22 lead into the half.
New Orleans shot 46.2 percent during the first 20 minutes of play.
Incarnate Word led for only 13 seconds of the contest, and the Privateers had a 36-22 advantage in points in the paint. New Orleans also outscored a shortened Cardinals bench 24-8 and had 12 points on the fast break to just four for the Cardinals.
Central Catholic alum Randi Brown led all scorers with 16 points on 7-of-15 from the field. She also had one rebound, two assists and one steal. Mundy added 10 points while going 4-of-5 and also registering two steals.
Mathilde Fogelstrom provided a solid defensive night, pulling in six rebounds and also adding two blocks and two steals. Shania Woods scored seven points, all in the first half, while Davis added six. Danielle Wright led the team with three steals.
Incarnate Word was led by Yvonne Maosa’s 14 points. Maosa also added six boards. Aricka Adams scored 12 points and went 6-of-6 from the line. Celia Garcia Paunero led the team with nine rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Cardinals dropped their ninth straight.
The Privateers are back in action Saturday at Sam Houston State. Tip is slated for 2 p.m.