NEW ORLEANS — Sophomore Davion Buster struck for a game-high 23 points, while junior Avery Sullivan scored 22 points and pulled down 12 rebounds as the Lamar University traveled to New Orleans and defeated the Privateers, 74-67, Thursday evening at Lake Front Arena.
The victory – just LU’s third all-time win at New Orleans, and eighth overall – moves the Cardinals to 8-6 on the season and 2-1 in Southland Conference play.
Buster and Sullivan led a Cardinals’ attack that shot 47 percent (26-of-55) from the field, including a 7-of-18 (.389) performance from three-point range. The Cardinals also got the job done at the free throw line converting nearly 72 percent of their attempts.
The Privateers managed to shoot better than 52 percent in the second half but couldn’t overcome a hot start from the Red and White. LU held their hosts to a 22-of-48 (.458) effort from the field, but the Privateers managed to hang close due to their success from three-point range, converting 5-of-10 in the opening half but finished the game with just six. UNO was led by 21 points from Bryson Robinson, but 17 of those came in the opening half.
The Cardinals took the opening lead of the game scoring the first two baskets, and after an 8-2 run the Cardinals built a six-point lead, 15-9, less than nine minutes into the half. The Cardinals built their lead to as many as seven before the Privateers used an 8-0 run to claim their first and only lead of the game midway through the half.
The Cardinals responded with threes from Buster and freshman Anderson Kopp. The two threes sparked an 8-0 run that saw LU reclaim its lead and eventually push it to as many as 13. The Privateers managed to trim the lead to seven, 38-31, heading into the locker room.
The Cardinals shot nearly 52 percent from the field converting 14-of-27 attempts, including four three-pointers, while holding UNO to an 11-of-27 (.407) performance.
The second half started with two free throws from Sullivan to give LU an eight-point lead, but just over three minutes into the half the Privateers had trimmed LU’s lead down to a single possession, 40-37, and the chess match was on. UNO would make a run to get close only to have Big Red push the Privateers away.
After having the lead trimmed to five, the Cardinals got an acrobatic layup from Buster to push the lead back to nine with less than 15 to play. LU had numerous chances to get their lead back to double-digits but the Privateers came up with the stop they needed.
The Cardinals eventually pushed their lead to 10 points but it only last for 18 seconds as UNO responded to the deficit by trimming it back to five with just over five remaining. The game moved into nail-biting time after UNO’s Troy Green trimmed the lead down to a single possession, 68-65, with 1:59 on the clock.
With the game hanging in the balance, the Cardinals got a three-pointer from Kopp and a tough jumper from Ellis Jefferson in the paint to push the lead back to eight with 43 seconds remaining. After a UNO basket, the Cardinals got a free throw from senior T.J. Atwood for the final score. All eight of Atwood’s points came in the second half as the Beaumont native spent the majority of the first half on the bench with foul trouble.
The Cardinals return to action Saturday when they host Abilene Christian. The game against the Wildcats will tip off at 2 p.m. from the Montagne Center.
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