Preview: Houston Christian Huskies at New Orleans Privateers NEW ORLEANS (Interstat) — Southland Conference play opens Saturday as the New Orleans Privateers host the Houston Christian Huskies at Kiefer Lakefront Arena. Both teams enter the matchup looking to halt recent slides and build momentum for the league schedule. Houston Christian (4-4) has dropped two straight, including a narrow 77-75 road loss at North Texas on Tuesday. New Orleans (3-6) seeks to end a five-game losing streak, most recently falling 86-70 at Memphis on Wednesday. The Huskies will lean on guard Kylin Green, who leads their backcourt. Green is averaging 12.6 points and 5.1 assists per game. He is coming off a 13-point, four-assist performance at North Texas and scored 24 points in a loss to Bellarmine on Nov. 25. His playmaking will be central against New Orleans’ pressure. The Privateers counter with guard Tavaj Cope, who erupted for a season-high 21 points against Memphis. His scoring punch provides a key offensive outlet for a team that has faced a rigorous non-conference road schedule, with losses to LSU, Texas Tech and Mississippi State. Houston Christian’s results have been inconsistent, with wins over Louisiana-Monroe and The Citadel but double-digit losses to UC San Diego and Georgia Southern. New Orleans’ victories have come against Southern-New Orleans, Tulane and TCU. Historically, conference openers set an early tone in the Southland standings. The Huskies aim to improve on their .500 record, while the Privateers hope their challenging early schedule prepares them for a home win. The game tips off at 7 p.m. CST Saturday. Following this contest, New Orleans hosts Incarnate Word on Monday, while Houston Christian returns home to face Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 13.