NEW ORLEANS — Texas State women's basketball head coach Zenarae Antoine came into the 2020-21 season knowing the junior duo of Da'Nasia Hood and Kennedy Taylor were going to continue to play at a high level. 

In Saturday afternoon's 67-64 loss at New Orleans to start the new campaign, Hood was credited with her fourth career double-double as the forward scored a team-high 16 points and brought down 12 rebounds. Hood's stat line was complimented by Taylor's all-around effort of 11 points, six rebounds, a career-high six steals and four assists.  

Despite the additional 12-point, 4-rebound, 4-steal afternoon from senior Avionne Alexander and the 11-point, 4-rebound, 3-steal performance from Ja'Kayla Bowie, who started her first game since Feb. 16, 2019 against Little Rock, the Privateers (1-0) were carried by a 28-point day from Jada Duncantell, who shot 11 of 22 from the field in a team-high 38 minutes. 

After carrying a 32-26 advantage into halftime, New Orleans responded by outscoring Texas State (0-1) 22-12 during the third quarter to flip the tables on the Bobcats and eventually taking a 48-44 lead into the game's final 10-minute stanza. 

Gabby Standifer, who saw 19 minutes of game action off the bench in her Bobcat debut, cut the Texas State deficit to two following her lone basket on the afternoon less than two minutes into the fourth. Duncantell extended the UNO lead back to four with a fast-break layup off a TXST turnover.

That's when the back-and-forth started as Taylor sank a pair of three throws moments later. Then, Dionjhae Thomas split a pair, before Lauryn Thompson sank a jumper in the paint to draw the Bobcats to within one with 6:50 remaining in the game. 

Chelsea Johnson hit the back-end of two free throws nearly two minutes later to tie the game at 51, but Kyla Davis connected on a 3-point attempt to push UNO back ahead by three.

Alexander was on the receiving end of a Taylor assist on a fast-break layup to make it 54-53 with 4:07 to play. But, again, the Privateers sank a 3-point basket to extend their lead back out.

Just 20 seconds later, Johnson made it a one-possession game, again, when she sank one of her two free throw attempts. Hood cut the Bobcats' deficit to one just seconds later when she converted a layup attempt in the paint. 

Mia Deck sank another 3-pointer for the Privateers to make it 60-57, UNO, with 1:41 to play in the game. Deck pushed the UNO advantage to four on the backend of two free throw attempts.
 
With 41 seconds remaining in the game, Taylor sank her second 3-pointer of the game to cut TXST's deficit to 61-60. However, Deck pushed it back to 62-60 at the 24-second mark with the front end of two free throws. 

Despite turning the ball over and UNO sinking a pair of free throws, Texas State still had an opportunity after Alexander sank another jump shot to make it 64-62 with 12 seconds to play. Following two more UNO free throws, Hood sank two of her town to cut the deficit to two. 

Even though Duncantell missed one of her two free throws with three seconds left, Texas State was unable to push up the court and attempt a potential game-tying shot before the final buzzer sounded.