BEAUMONT, Texas – Two separate wins streaks were on the line Thursday when Lamar University squared off against New Orleans in a game between two evenly matched teams that went to overtime before being decided. Despite shooting 38 percent from the field, and struggling from the free throw line, the Cardinals managed to push the game into the extra period before falling short to the Privateers, 66-62, in front of one of the largest home crowds of the season.
 
The setback put a stop to the Cardinals current four-game winning streak. The Privateers also ended the LU's six-game win streak in the Montagne Center.
 
"This was hard fought game by both teams," said LU head coach Tic Price. "New Orleans is a veteran team that you know is always going to battle. We came up short, but I think our kids did a good job. We didn't execute at crunch time. This game shouldn't have gone to overtime, but you have to give New Orleans a lot of credit. We have to make our free throws. We make our free throws this game doesn't go to overtime."
 
The Cardinals (9-6/1-1 Southland) finished the night shooting 38 percent from the field, and just 5-of-22 (.227) from three-point range. UNO ended the night just a shade better converting 24-of-61 (.393) attempts, including six three-pointers.
 
The big story came at the free throw line where the Cardinals left 11 points on the floor. Big Red was 19-of-30 (.633) from the stripe, while their guests knocked down 12-of-17 (.706).
 
The Privateers got a huge boost from their reserves scoring 28 points, and outscoring the LU reserves by 13. UNO also took advantage of 17 LU turnovers. The Privateers converted those miscues into 15 points.
 
The Cardinals were led by sophomore Nick Garth's 13 points. Junior Colton Weisbrod overcame early foul trouble to add 12 points, and sophomore Josh Nzeakor added 10, while junior Zjori Bosha scored five points and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. The Privateers were led by Travin Thibodeaux who came off the bench to score 14 points.
 
Outside of a UNO 10-point first-half lead which the Cardinals immediately erased with 10-0 run, the game remained close. The first four minutes of the game foreshadowed the struggles both teams would have offensively. The game went scoreless for nearly four minutes before the Privateers' Thibodeaux scored a layup at the 16:05 mark. The Privateers would add another basket nearly 60 seconds later to take a 4-0 lead.
 
The Cardinals cracked the scoreboard at the 14:05 mark when Bosha buried a three-pointer. Big Red took its first lead at the 12:24 mark on a free throw by Garth. That lead change would be the first of many as the game wore on. Before the final buzzer sounded the contest would see the lead change hands nine times with seven ties.
 
After trailing by as many as 10 in the opening 20 minutes, the Cardinals trailed by only four points with 2:26 on the clock. The Cardinals managed to turn that deficit into a two-point advantage with less than a minute remaining. UNO tied the game up at the buzzer when Makur Puou scored in the paint prior to time running out.
 
The second half ended in similar fashion to the first except it was LU tying the game late. Neither team led by more than six points in the second half and the Cardinals pulled ahead by two, 57-55, following two Nzeakor free throws with 42 second remaining. UNO got a three-pointer from Christavious Gill to take a one-point advantage with 28 seconds. The Cardinals responded by going inside to Weisbrod who was fouled. After missing the first attempt Weisbrod sank the second free throw to send the game into overtime.
 
The Cardinals took the first lead of the half, and didn't allow UNO a field goal during the five-minute extra period, but their struggles from the free throw line finally caught up to them. While LU finished the game with 11 misses at the stripe, the Privateers knocked down eight of 10 attempts to escape Beaumont with a four-point lead. The Cardinals were also forced to the play the overtime down two starters as Weisbrod and junior Joey Frenchwood fouled out.
 
The Cardinals return to action Saturday when they host Southeastern Louisiana. The game against the Lions will tip off at 4:30 p.m. from the Montagne Center. It can be heard live on Newstalk 560 KLVI, and seen live on ESPN3.
 
-LU CARDINALS-