HOUSTON – New Orleans had an answer for each HBU spurt as the Privateers held off the Huskies, 73-63, in Southland Conference women's basketball Thursday night at Sharp Gym.
Sophomore guard
Lisa Zderadicka recorded her second-straight double-double for HBU (4-13, 2-5 SLC) with 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, while freshman forward
Lauren Calver added 10 points and seven boards off the bench. Senior guard
Heidi Byrd chipped in with nine points.
Randi Brown led UNO (9-7, 4-2) with 24 points, going 12-of-14 from the free-throw line. Shania Woods finished with 13 points and Kayla Mundy scored 12 off the bench. Mariah Wright contributed nine points and Hallie Matthews led the Privateers with nine rebounds to go with six points.
UNO shot 43.4 percent from the floor, 4-for-12 from 3-point range, and went 23-for-26 from the free-throw line. HBU shot 37.9 percent from the field, 5-for-12 from long distance, and 14-for-17 from the stripe. Each team pulled down 33 rebounds.
Woods scored nine of UNO's first 11 points and the Privateers led 17-4, until freshman
Sophie Taylor nailed a three from the corner and Calver knocked down a pair of free throws. UNO led, 21-11, after the first period. The Privateers scored the first six points of the second and a deep three by Brown opened up a 17-point lead. The Huskies answered with a 12-2 run over the next four minutes to get back within seven with just over a minute to go in the half, but a pair of free throws by Brown gave the Privateers a 36-27 lead at the break.
HBU scored the first four points of the second half to trim the deficit to five, but Wright hit a three and Mundy got free inside for a layup to put UNO back ahead, 41-31, at the 6:39 mark in the third. The Privateers led, 51-38, but a three-point play by Calver and a corner trey by Daub made it a seven-point game with 1:35 remaining in the third. Brown came back with a layup and a three and UNO led, 58-45, going into the final frame.
UNO stretched its lead to as many as 20 with 3:38 left in the game, which allowed the Privateers to hold on after a late 14-2 outburst by the Huskies.
The Huskies return to action when they hit the road to face Nicholls Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 6 p.m. in Thibodaux, Louisiana.
