HAMMOND, La. (Interstat) — The New Orleans Privateers earned their first win of the season Thursday night, holding off the Southeastern Louisiana Lions 64-63 in a women’s basketball game at University Center. New Orleans, now 1-13, overcame a 34-18 halftime deficit with a dominant 24-point third quarter. Southeastern Louisiana, which fell to 2-11, missed a chance to tie in the final seconds. Lihi Azouri led all scorers with 19 points for the Lions, while Eryn McKinzie added 18. Jayla Kimbrough scored 14 for the Privateers, and Brialle Washington added 12. The Lions shot 8 for 25 from three-point range but made only 5 of 12 free throws. The Privateers capitalized on turnovers, scoring 25 points off 19 Lions giveaways. Attendance was 302.

HAMMOND, La. (Interstat) — In a game defined by grit over grace, the New Orleans Privateers secured their first victory of a long and arduous season, edging the Southeastern Louisiana Lions 64-63 in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball thriller on Thursday night at University Center. The Southland Conference contest, played before an intimate crowd of 302, saw the Privateers overcome a 12-point halftime deficit and a national statistical projection that gave them only a 4% chance of victory. The win improved New Orleans to 1-13 overall, while Southeastern Louisiana fell to 2-11. For three quarters, the game followed a script familiar to both struggling squads. The Lions, led by the potent backcourt duo of Eryn McKinzie and Lihi Azouri, controlled the first half with efficient execution. McKinzie, a guard from Fort Worth, Texas, scored 10 of her team-high 18 points before the break, while Azouri, from Herzelia, Israel, chipped in 8 of her 19. Southeastern Louisiana capitalized on a frigid second quarter from New Orleans, holding the Privateers to just six points to take a 34-18 lead into halftime. The Privateers, who shot just 24 of 65 from the floor for the game, appeared headed for a 14th consecutive defeat. But the third quarter witnessed a stunning and decisive reversal. New Orleans erupted for 24 points in the period, nearly matching their entire first-half output. The surge was fueled by defensive intensity, converting seven Lions turnovers into easy opportunities. Jayla Kimbrough, a guard from Decatur, Georgia, came alive, scoring 8 of her 14 points during the run, including a layup that capped a 14-2 spurt and tied the game at 36-36. Brialle Washington of Rayne, Louisiana, who finished with 12 points, and Lauren Banks, who added 11, also keyed the rally as the Privateers outscored the Lions 24-9 in the quarter to seize a 42-43 lead. The fourth quarter became a tense, back-and-forth affair featuring eight lead changes. Azouri’s shooting kept the Lions afloat, as she connected on three of her game-high four 3-pointers in the final period. Her step-back jumper with 39 seconds remaining gave Southeastern Louisiana a 63-61 advantage, threatening to crush New Orleans’ comeback bid. The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the final nine seconds. Trailing by two, New Orleans’ Shanihya Brown, a guard from Chicago, drove aggressively and was fouled by Azouri on a two-shot attempt with 9.1 seconds on the clock. Brown, who had struggled with six turnovers, calmly sank both free throws to put the Privateers ahead 64-63. Southeastern Louisiana had two final chances to win. On the ensuing inbound, Aliyah Collins of College Station, Texas, committed her sixth turnover of the night, giving the ball back to New Orleans with 13 seconds left. The Lions immediately fouled, sending Brown back to the line. She missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving the Lions life with 5 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Southeastern Louisiana’s Bethany Graves of Pascagoula, Mississippi, was fouled on a desperate drive and sent to the line for two shots with 3 seconds left. She missed both. A chaotic scramble for the rebound ensued, ending with the Lions’ Mia Ramos missing a contested three-pointer at the buzzer, sealing the Privateers’ narrow escape. Beyond the scoring, the game was a sloppy, physical battle. The teams combined for 36 turnovers and shot under 38% from the field. New Orleans won by dominating the margins, scoring 25 points off turnovers to Southeastern Louisiana’s 14, and grabbing 16 offensive rebounds. The Lions’ Collins dished out a game-high six assists but her late turnover proved costly. For New Orleans, the victory breaks a 13-game skid that included losses to power conference opponents and narrow defeats in conference play. Southeastern Louisiana, which had shown flashes in a double-overtime loss to Houston Christian and a close game against Memphis, was left to ponder a second consecutive tight conference loss. Both teams return to Southland Conference action on Saturday. New Orleans will host Nicholls State, while Southeastern Louisiana travels to face McNeese State.

Winless New Orleans Seeks First Victory Against Struggling Southeastern Louisiana HAMMOND, La. (Interstat) — Two Southland Conference teams searching for momentum will meet Thursday when the winless New Orleans Privateers visit the Southeastern Louisiana Lions in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game. The game, scheduled for Jan. 8, 2026, at the University Center, pits a New Orleans squad (0-13, 0-1 Southland) enduring a difficult start against a Southeastern Louisiana team (2-10, 0-1) that has dropped its last six contests. New Orleans is coming off a 72-63 home loss to Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday. Despite the defeat, guard Shanihya Brown turned in a standout performance, falling just shy of a triple-double with 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Brown has been a consistent bright spot, averaging 14.4 points and 5.0 assists over her last five games. Southeastern Louisiana also enters on a losing skid, having fallen 87-72 to Stephen F. Austin on Saturday. The Lions are led by guard Aliyah Collins, who scored 21 points in that loss. Collins has been a high-volume scorer, averaging 18.8 points over her previous five outings, including a 29-point effort in a double-overtime loss to Houston Christian on Dec. 12. Both teams have faced challenging non-conference schedules. The Privateers’ losses include defeats to power-conference opponents LSU and Tulane, while the Lions were routed by Texas and LSU. Conference play offers a reset, but each has begun with an initial setback. For New Orleans, breaking into the win column will require containing Collins and finding secondary scoring behind Brown. Sephora Kayolo and Brialle Washington, who combined for 23 points against Texas A&M-Commerce, will need to provide support. Southeastern Louisiana, which earned one of its two wins this season against Texas A&M-Commerce in November, will look to exploit its home court advantage and capitalize on New Orleans’ struggles. Defense will be a focus for both; the Lions allow 79.8 points per game, while the Privateers surrender 84.2. The matchup is the first of a key two-game homestand for Southeastern Louisiana, while New Orleans continues a tough opening to league play seeking a breakthrough victory.