New Orleans women's basketball defeats Houston Baptist

For the second consecutive game, the University of New Orleans women’s basketball team led for virtually the entire game as they ran their winning streak to 3 in a row with a 73-63 win over the Houston Baptist Huskies at Sharp Gym in Houston Thursday night.
New Orleans (9-7, 4-2 SLC) picked up win number nine of the season, exceeding the team’s win total during each of the last two seasons when the Privateers finished with back-to-back 8-19 records.
“The players were well aware of it and they wanted it,” New Orleans head coach Keeshawn Davenport said in a news release. “Their focus is not on nine wins but getting to Katy and winning Katy. I’m just proud of the team we are becoming”
Katy, Texas is the site of the Southland Conference Basketball Tournament March 10-13.
New Orleans took the lead for good 50 seconds into the game at the 9:10 mark of the first quarter on a Shania Woods (Accounting) layup. It would be a sign of things to come as the Privateers jumped out to a 21-11 lead at the end of the period. Woods, a sophomore center, scored 9 points in the quarter and finished with 13 points and 5 rebounds.
UNO took its largest lead of the first half during quarter number two. They jumped out to a 17-point, 32-15 advantage when Central Catholic alum Randi Brown knocked down a 3 pointer at the 6:25 mark. Brown, the Southland Conference’s leading scorer, had an off shooting night hitting only 5-of-14 shots, however she led all scorers with 24 thanks to a 12-of-14 evening from the free throw line.
New Orleans was 23-of-26 from the free throw line for a torrid 88.5 percent.
HBU would close the gap at the half to nine at 36-27 with a late first half run. A 4-0 Huskies’ start at the opening of the third quarter cut the lead to 36-31 but HBU would never get closer. The Privateers essentially put the game away during a 1 minute 18 second stretch with an 8-0 run at the start of the fourth period, thanks to 2 free throws and a basket by Raven Coleman, a jumper by Randi Brown and a layup by Kayla Mundy to give UNO it’s largest lead of the night (19) at 64-45 with 8:44 to go in the game.
With 12 points on the night, Kayla Mundy supplied double figures off the bench for the third straight game. Point guard Mariah Wright chipped in 9 points and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Junior frontcourt player Halie Matthews had 6 points and a season-high 9 rebounds off the bench.
HBU (4-13, 2-5) was led by Lisa Zderakicka with 16 points.
New Orleans held the Huskies to 37 percent from the field hitting only 22-of-58 shots.
“It was important that we jumped out on them early and that was the difference in the game. We established our presence on their home court right away,” said Davenport.
New Orleans returns to the court Saturday at Lakefront Arena when Central Arkansas comes to town. The Privateers and the Sugar Bears come into the game with identical 4-2 Southland Conference records. Tipoff is 4 p. m.