Follow @HBUBasketball

HOUSTON – In a back-and-forth game that saw nine lead changes, it was New Orleans that pulled away in the final minutes to defeat HBU, 64-57, on Saturday evening in Sharp Gym in Southland Conference men's basketball action.
 
The Huskies (4-11, 0-2 SLC) were again led offensively by the duo of Jalon Gates and Ian DuBose, a sophomore and a freshman, respectively. Gates led all players with 20 points, shooting 6-of-17 from the floor while DuBose added 17 points, seven rebounds and three steals. The freshman was 3-of-4 from behind the arc and 6-of-9 from the field. Freshman Philip McKenzie matched a career-high with nine rebounds while setting new career-bests in steals (4) and assists (3) and adding six points.
 
HBU jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead but New Orleans (5-8, 2-0 SLC) scored the next 11 points to go up by seven, the largest lead either team would hold in the game. The Huskies responded by scoring the next eight points to take a 12-11 lead. UNO regained the lead immediately after and a Damion Rosser layup made it a 15-12 game with 13:19 left in the first half. HBU then responded with a nine-point run, highlighted by a thunderous dunk from Tim Myles, to lead 21-15 less than four minutes later. A Travin Thibodeaux jumper at the 2:33 mark tied the game at 25-25 and New Orleans out-scored HBU 6-2 to close the half and take a 31-27 lead into the locker room.
 
In the second period, UNO led 35-31 after a Makur Puou layup but back-to-back threes from DuBose and Gates put HBU back ahead by two with 15:16 on the clock. The Huskies built their lead as high as six and didn't trail again until a pair of Thibodeaux free throws with 5:27 to go put the Privateers ahead 53-52. HBU was able to get within one at the 2:10 mark but UNO scored the final six points of the game to pull away.
 
New Orleans' three big men combined to score 37 of the team's 64 points. Thibodeaux, a 6-8 forward, finished with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds along with a game-high five assists and three blocks. Puou, a 6-9 forward, had five blocked shots along with nine points and nine rebounds while 6-9 forward Scott Plaisance added 10 points.
 
The Huskies shot 36.2 percent (21-of-48) from the floor and were 36.8 percent (7-of-19) from three-point range. New Orleans held a slim 40-38 advantage on the glass with HBU pulling down 17 offensive boards.
 
HBU will be off on Wednesday while the rest of the league plays before returning to the hardwood next Saturday, Jan. 6, to face Nicholls at home in Sharp Gym at 7:00 p.m.