STWF Sports | LAKE CHARLES, La. | March 9, 2026  — A spirited second-half rally by the New Orleans Privateers men’s basketball ultimately fell short Monday evening as the Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Islanders held off New Orleans 74–61 in the quarterfinal round of the Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament.

The defeat ended the Privateers’ season at 15-18 overall, though the campaign still marked one of the most significant turnarounds in program history.

Corpus Christi (18-14, 13-9 Southland) leaned on an early offensive surge and rebounding dominance to secure its place in the tournament semifinals.

Islanders Strike Early

The Islanders established control early behind the red-hot shooting of Daniel Michelini-Jackson, who delivered one of the most explosive performances of the tournament’s opening rounds.

Michelini-Jackson scored 15 of his career-high 28 points within the first 10 minutes of the game, knocking down his first eight field-goal attempts and consistently breaking through the Privateers’ defense. He finished the night shooting 10-of-12 from the floor while also grabbing eight rebounds.

Corpus Christi built a 16-point lead late in the first half as New Orleans struggled to slow the Islanders’ offensive rhythm.

Privateers Rally Before Halftime

Despite the deficit, New Orleans responded with resilience.

A key moment came with just over two minutes remaining in the first half when a personal foul initially called against Coleton Benson was reviewed and upgraded to a flagrant foul on Michelini-Jackson. Benson converted two free throws before draining a three-pointer moments later, creating a crucial five-point swing that energized the Privateers.

The momentum helped New Orleans trim the deficit to 37–30 by halftime, setting the stage for a competitive second half.

Second-Half Push

New Orleans carried that energy into the opening minutes after the break.

Forward TJ Cope ignited the comeback with a powerful right-handed dunk that gave the Privateers their first lead since the opening minutes of the contest, putting UNO ahead 43–42 with 15:16 remaining.

Cope finished with 14 points while connecting on a career-high seven field goals, providing a major spark for the Privateers’ offense.

Shortly after, Benson added another three-pointer to extend the lead to 46–44, capping a stretch in which New Orleans appeared poised to complete the comeback.

Islanders Regain Control

Corpus Christi responded quickly.

The Islanders answered with an 8–0 run that restored their advantage and shifted the momentum back in their favor. New Orleans briefly closed the gap to six points but struggled to overcome the Islanders’ physical presence on the boards.

Rebounding proved to be the decisive factor. Corpus Christi outrebounded New Orleans 41–29 overall and dominated the defensive glass with a 24–11 edge. The Islanders also generated a 24–11 advantage in second-chance points, creating multiple extra scoring opportunities that helped seal the victory.

Strong Individual Performances

Sophomore MJ Thomas delivered a standout performance for New Orleans despite the loss. Thomas recorded the 13th double-double of his career — and his seventh this season — finishing with 17 points and 14 rebounds while adding a three-pointer in the second half.

Benson also scored 17 points in his final game as a Privateer, closing his collegiate career with another impressive performance from beyond the arc. The senior connected on three three-pointers, bringing his season total to 86 — the second-highest single-season mark in program history.

Meanwhile, veteran guard Jakevion Buckley added another milestone to his record-setting season. Early in the second half, Buckley assisted Benson on a corner three-pointer to break the program’s single-season assist record previously held by Jimmie Smith.

Buckley finished the season with 179 assists, surpassing the 21-year-old mark.

A Season of Progress

Although the Privateers’ postseason run ended in the quarterfinals, the 2025–26 campaign represented a remarkable step forward for the program.

New Orleans finished the season with 11 more wins than the previous year — the second-largest improvement in school history. Only Ron Green’s 1973–74 team produced a bigger turnaround.

The Privateers also improved by 10 wins in conference play, tying the program record for the largest Southland Conference improvement set by Tim Floyd’s 1992–93 squad.

While the season ended one game short of the semifinals, the foundation built this year signals continued progress for a New Orleans program that showed resilience, growth and renewed competitiveness throughout the season.