Box Score NEW ORLEANS, La. ? Senior guard Bo McCalebb had 21 points and junior forward Kyndall Dykes added 17, but it was not enough as the University of New Orleans men's basketball team dropped a 73-55 decision to Sun Belt Conference foe Western Kentucky Wednesday evening at the UNO Human Performance Center.
The Hilltoppers (15-5, 7-1 SBC) shot 56.4 percent from the field (31-of-55), including a 43.8 clip on 7-of-16 shooting from beyond the 3-point line. The Western Kentucky defense, meanwhile, held the Privateers (14-6, 4-4 SBC) to a 34.7 shooting percentage (17-of-49), including an 0-for-10 showing from 3-point land.
Courtney Lee led Western Kentucky with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting ? including three 3-pointers ? while Jeremy Evans chipped in with 17 points after connecting on 8-of-9 shots from the floor. Evans led all players with seven rebounds, while Tyrone Brazelton posted a season-best nine assists.
The Hilltoppers came out hot and stormed to a 22-8 advantage over the first 10-plus minutes of the ballgame. The Privateers rallied with a 13-4 run to make it a five-point ballgame at the 3:11 left to play in the opening stanza. Western Kentucky led at the break, 32-26.
The momentum of the late first-half rally carried over into the second stanza, and the Privateers were down only three at 41-38 with 12:13 left to play.
From there, however, Western Kentucky connected on four straight shots and hit some key free throws over the next 3:05 to take a commanding 52-38 advantage.
UNO hung tough, but could only cut the lead to 10 at 55-45 with 7:12 remaining on the clock. The Hilltoppers led by as many as 20 in the final two minutes, and McCalebb accounted for the final score of the ballgame with a lay-up as the buzzer sounded.
The Privateers return to action on Sunday, Jan 27, when they travel to Miami, Fla., to take on Sun Belt opponent Florida International at noon (CST). UNO's next home game is slated for Saturday, Feb. 2, against the Troy Trojans. For ticket information, contact the UNO Athletics Ticket Office at (504) 280-GAME.
