Box Score JONESBORO, Ark.
? No lead was safe for either bench at the Convocation
Center, but a late Bo McCalebb lay-up
gave the University of New Orleans a 79-78 win over Arkansas State
on Thursday night.
UNO (16-9, 6-7 SBC) was led by Bo McCalebb, who had a
game-high 31 points while Kyndall Dykes and Ben Elias added 14 and 10 points,
respectively.
ASU (9-16, 4-10 SBC) received 18 points from Yima Chia-Kur
and 17 from Ryan Wedel.
After Morgan scored the first four points of the game to
give the Indians an early lead, UNO went on a 7-2 run to take a 7-6 lead, their
first of the game.
Following seven lead changes between the two teams in the
early goings, it was the Tribe that went on top as they scored 11 of the next
13 points including three consecutive three-pointers to take a 28-18 lead.
Trailing by 11 with 7:04 remaining in the first half, Elias
kicked off a UNO run with his 10th point of the game on a second chance opportunity
as the Privateers would score 19 straight points to get within two at 33-31. A
McCalebb lay-up would tie up the game at 33-33 before a Kechan Myers
three-pointer put the Privateers on top 36-33.
UNO would extend their lead to seven at 41-34 on a McCalebb
three-pointer before a Kewain Gant jumper ended a stretch of five minutes
without an ASU basket from the field. Another Gant basket would provide the
final points of the half as UNO led by McCalebb and Elias with 12 and 10
points, respectively, took a 41-37 halftime lead.
ASU would pull within two at 45-43 before the Privateers
scored eight straight points to jump out to a 10 point lead, their largest of
the game at 53-43 with 16:12 remaining in the contest.
The Tribe rallied back to take the lead at 61-60 on a Wedel
three-pointer followed by a Morgan basket off a UNO turnover to complete a 20-7
run by the home team.
Two McCalebb free throws would pull the Privateers within
one at 63-62. A T.J Worley three-pointer followed by a McCalebb fast break
basket gave UNO the lead back at 67-66.
Wedel and McCalebb traded three-pointers with UNO coming out
of the lead exchange on top 74-73 with 1:36 remaining in the contest. Wedel
responded with another three-pointer, his fourth of the second half to put ASU
on top 76-74 with just under a minute to go.
Following two free throws by Chia-Kur for ASU to give the
Indians a four-point advantage, Worley made a three-pointer to get the
Privateer within one once more at 78-77.
A missed Wedel free throw led to a coast to coast lay-up by
McCalebb to put UNO on top 79-78 with 20 seconds left on the clock. ASU missed
several opportunities after pulling down a few offensive rebounds in the last
few seconds as the Privateers took the win.
UNO will wrap up the two-game road trip with a Saturday
night contest at UALR with tip scheduled for 7 p.m at the Jack Stephens
Center. Mike Wagenheim
will provide the play by play on WGSO 990 AM with live video and stats on
UNOPrivateers.com.
