Box Score MURFREESBORO, Tenn. ? Bo McCalebb had a season-high 28 points and Kechan Myers added 14 as visiting New Orleans took an improbable 82-75 overtime win at Middle Tennessee on Saturday.
McCalebb and Myers had back-to-back 3-point plays in the final 30 seconds of regulation, and James Parlow's tip-in at the buzzer forced the extra period as UNO (14-5, 4-3 Sun Belt) picked up its first win against MT since Jan. 22, 2005.
In the overtime, UNO was 5-of-7 from the field and started the period with a 9-2 run to take control.
“Nobody quit,” said UNO head coach Joe Pasternack, whose team equaled last year's win total with 14. “We just kept coming and kept coming. In a game where there was so much adversity, we just hung tough. What a win.”
Jacob Manning had a season-high 10 rebounds as UNO out-boarded the Blue Raiders 42-41.
Sophomore forward Desmond Yates had a career-high 30 points and Kevin Kanaskie added 12 for the Blue Raiders (7-10, 4-3), which had a three-game win streak snapped.
It was UNO's first overtime game since defeating North Texas 97-93 in double overtime on Dec. 16, 2006. The Privateers also improved to 6-1 in road games this year.
The Blue Raiders seemed primed to win their fourth straight as the game entered the final minute of regulation. After a Dino Hair free throw gave MT a 64-58 lead with 31 seconds left, though, McCalebb made a layup and was fouled with 27 seconds to play.
The New Orleans native made the free throw before Hair missed both free throws on the ensuing possession. Myers then drove the lane, scored and was fouled by Kanaskie with 15 seconds left.
After Myers hit the free throw, Yates hit a baseline jumper to give the Blue Raiders a 66-64 lead with seven seconds left. Myers drove the lane but missed a layup, and T.J. Worley missed the putback. But Parlow made the third opportunity the charm with a tip-in at the horn that forced the extra time.
MT never got back into it in the overtime, and UNO made 5-of-7 free throws down the stretch to cinch it.
UNO completed a 2-0 Sun Belt road swing for the first time since Feb. 10, 2002, when the Privateers defeated Denver after a Feb. 8 win at North Texas.
The Privateers will host Western Kentucky in a 7 p.m. matchup on Wednesday at the Human Performance Center.
