KATY, Texas (AP) Kevin Brown scored a career-high 24 points and New Orleans outscored Nicholls State 7-1 in the final minute to give the Privateers an 82-73 win in the first round of the Southland Conference tournament on Wednesday.
Tevin Broyles, Kevin Hill and Nate Frye combined to make 7 of 8 free throws in the last 35 seconds to seal it.
Seventh-seeded New Orleans (11-17), in its first Southland tournament appearance after joining last season, forced 21 turnovers and had a 24-4 differential on points off turnovers.
New Orleans will play No. 3 Texas A&M Corpus Christi in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Travin Thibodeaux had 15 points, Frye added 14, Broyles 13 and Hill 11 for the Privateers.
Amin Torres led No. 6 seed Nicholls (10-19) with 17 points. T.J. Carpenter picked up his fourth foul with 15:21 left and finished with 10 points. He had a career-high 28 in their 89-79 overtime win over New Orleans on March 2.
