STWF Sports | NEW ORLEANS | Jan. 17, 2026 — For nearly 37 minutes on Saturday afternoon at Lakefront Arena, the New Orleans Privateers went punch for punch with one of the Southland Conference’s top teams. In the final three minutes, they nearly authored a comeback that would have echoed through the league standings. Instead, a furious late rally fell just short as the Privateers dropped an 84–79 decision to Stephen F. Austin, leaving the sellout crowd buzzing over what might have been.
Stephen F. Austin appeared firmly in control late in the second half, building a 75–61 advantage with 3:13 remaining. At that point, the Lumberjacks had weathered multiple runs and seemed poised to close out a road victory. What followed, however, was one of the most electrifying stretches of basketball Lakefront Arena has seen this season.
New Orleans caught fire, connecting on six consecutive field goals, five of which came from beyond the arc. The Privateers played with urgency, spacing the floor and attacking in rhythm as shot after shot splashed through the net. Coleton Benson ignited the surge, knocking down three of the six baskets during the run, while Kedrick Osby drilled a critical three-pointer that trimmed the deficit to 81–79 with 27.9 seconds remaining.
The crowd rose as one, sensing the possibility of a comeback for the ages.
Stephen F. Austin steadied itself at the free-throw line, where Ahamed Mohammed was fouled with the shot clock off and calmly converted both attempts to push the lead back to four. New Orleans had one final look, and Benson’s contested three nearly banked home, but the ball rattled out. The Lumberjacks secured the rebound, effectively sealing the outcome and escaping with a hard-fought road win.
The narrow finish overshadowed a highly entertaining opening half that set the tone for the night. Both teams shot above 50 percent from the field, trading baskets in a fast-paced, offense-driven contest. Stephen F. Austin connected on 51.5 percent of its attempts, while the Privateers were even sharper, shooting 56.7 percent before the break.
New Orleans controlled much of the first half, leading by as many as 10 points on three separate occasions. Jakevion Buckley was instrumental in that stretch, scoring 14 of his game-high 24 points in the opening 20 minutes. His mid-range jumper with 3:01 remaining gave the Privateers a 38–28 advantage, seemingly placing momentum squarely on the home side.
The Lumberjacks responded with precision shooting of their own. Lateef Patrick caught fire late in the half, burying three three-pointers in the final minutes to erase the deficit. His final triple pulled Stephen F. Austin even at 41–41, a fitting halftime score for a contest that had been tightly contested from the opening tip.
Patrick carried that momentum into the second half, finishing with a game-high 29 points to lead the Lumberjacks. Keon Thompson added 15 points and seven rebounds, while Jerald Colonel controlled the glass with a team-high nine rebounds, helping Stephen F. Austin generate key second-chance opportunities during critical stretches.
For New Orleans, Buckley delivered one of his most complete performances of the season, finishing with 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting and adding seven assists. His ability to create for both himself and others kept the Privateers within striking distance throughout the night.
Churchill Abass was a force on both ends, posting 13 points, nine rebounds, and six blocked shots. The six rejections marked the most blocks by a Privateer in a game since Kevin Hill recorded seven in 2014 against Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, underscoring Abass’ growing impact in the paint. Benson rounded out the scoring effort with 17 points, including several clutch baskets during the late rally.
Though the comeback fell short, the performance reflected the resilience and fire of a New Orleans team unwilling to fold. Against a conference contender, the Privateers showed offensive balance, defensive grit, and the ability to rise in high-pressure moments — qualities that suggest Saturday’s finish may serve less as a setback and more as a spark heading into the next stretch of Southland play.
