Box Score NEW ORLEANS ? Bo McCalebb scored 26 points and Kyndall Dykes added 18 as New Orleans snapped a two-game losing skid with a 65-49 win over visiting Denver on Wednesday.
McCalebb and Dykes combined to go 19-of-32 from the floor as the Privateers (12-4, 2-2 Sun Belt Conference) improved to 10-0 at home against Denver (6-9, 2-2).
UNO shot 51 percent overall and was 61 percent in the second half. McCalebb and Dykes combined to equal Denver's point tally in the second half (25). Dykes had 14 points and was 6-of-7 from the field in the final half.
“Kyndall Dykes was terrific tonight,” said Denver first-year head coach Joe Scott. “He went left every time, which is what we were trying to stop. But give him credit for doing what he was trying to do.”
David Kummer led the Pioneers with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Denver has lost 23 straight road games.
The Privateers were 13-of-14 from the free-throw line.
McCalebb scored 15 points in the first half to help the Privateers to a 29-24 halftime advantage. UNO ended the half on a 6-0 run and never trailed after the 2:01 mark.
The Privateers extended its lead with another 6-0 spurt to start the second half. Denver kept the lead in single digits for most of the final half thanks to its “Princeton” style offense, which saw numerous cuts and screens.
“I would hate to face that offense every day,” said UNO first-year head coach Joe Pasternack. “It's like going to have a root canal.”
UNO also enjoyed a 27-21 advantage on the boards, marking the first time the Privateers out-rebounded an opponent since a Dec. 20 win over Louisiana Tech.
UNO will host South Alabama at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Human Performance Center. Denver hosts Arkansas-Little Rock on Sunday.
