NEW ORLEANS (Interstat) — In a Southland Conference women’s basketball game defined by runs and resilience, the Southeastern Louisiana Lions overcame a slow start and a dominant rebounding disadvantage to defeat the New Orleans Privateers 74-64 on Thursday night at Kiefer Lakefront Arena.

The game, played before an announced crowd of 246, saw the Lions improve to 5-22 overall, while the Privateers fell to 3-25.

New Orleans opened the contest with purpose, building an early 21-10 lead behind the play of Lauren Banks. The Privateers’ aggressive start was fueled by a significant edge on the offensive glass, a theme that would persist throughout the night. Southeastern Louisiana, however, responded with a decisive surge to close the first quarter. Sparked by a Mia Ramos layup and a three-pointer, the Lions finished the period on a 7-0 run to narrow the gap to 21-17.

The second quarter belonged entirely to the visitors. Southeastern Louisiana’s offense found its rhythm, outscoring New Orleans 25-18 in the frame to take a 42-39 lead into halftime. The Lions’ backcourt duo of Aliyah Collins and Lihi Azouri began to exert their influence, combining for timely outside shooting and playmaking. A critical sequence late in the half saw Collins convert a tip-in at the buzzer, capping the Lions’ comeback and giving them momentum they would not relinquish.

The most important stretch of the game came early in the third quarter. After New Orleans briefly tied the game, Southeastern Louisiana tightened its defense, forcing a series of Privateer turnovers. The Lions capitalized with a 10-2 run, extending their lead to 52-44. New Orleans struggled to generate consistent offense against Southeastern’s active hands, committing 19 turnovers that led to 20 points for the Lions. Despite hauling in 23 offensive rebounds, the Privateers could not convert those second chances efficiently enough to mount a sustained threat.

Southeastern Louisiana maintained control throughout the fourth quarter, answering every New Orleans basket. When the Privateers cut the lead to 62-59 with just over four minutes remaining, Collins and Taylor Ross responded with consecutive layups to push the advantage back to seven. Collins then sealed the victory at the free-throw line, sinking four clutch attempts in the final 27 seconds.

Collins, a guard from College Station, Texas, led all scorers with 17 points and added four assists for the Lions. Azouri, from Herzelia, Israel, contributed 19 points, while Ramos of San Antonio scored 15. Ross provided a key spark off the bench with 10 points.

New Orleans was led by Banks, who finished with 20 points. Aaliyah Ellis added nine points, and Shanihya Brown dished out six assists for the Privateers.

The statistical sheet told a story of contrasting strengths. New Orleans dominated the boards, outrebounding Southeastern Louisiana 52-33, including the 23 offensive rebounds. However, the Lions were far more efficient with their possessions, committing only 10 turnovers and shooting 43.3% from the field and 45.5% from three-point range. The Privateers, by contrast, shot just 31.5% overall and 31% from beyond the arc. Southeastern Louisiana also recorded nine steals and four blocks, with Fatime Seck of El Paso, Texas, accounting for three of those blocks.

The victory avenged a 64-63 home loss to New Orleans on Jan. 8. According to Interstat’s ELO system, Southeastern Louisiana entered the game with a 64.80 percent probability to win.

Both teams return to conference play on Saturday. Southeastern Louisiana travels to face Nicholls State, while New Orleans remains at home to host McNeese State.