Box Score NEW ORLEANS ? New Orleans senior forward Kyndall Dykes scored a career-high 27 points as the Privateers defeated Arkansas State 73-63 on Thursday at Lakefront Arena.
T.J. Worley had 22 points, as the senior duo won in what could be their final home game at Lakefront Arena.
Dykes, who had 16 points in the first half, was 10-for-19 from the field and 7-for-9 from the free-throw line. Worley and Dykes combined to go 11-for-13 from the charity stripe.
As a team, UNO (11-16, 6-10 Sun Belt Conference) shot 88 percent from the free-throw line (22-for-25), which tied its season high.
Donald Boone led ASU (13-13, 5-10) with 13 points, while JeJuan Brown and Eric McKinney had 11 points each for the Red Wolves, who lost their sixth straight.
The loss spoiled a homecoming of sorts for ASU head coach John Brady. Brady, who was the head coach at LSU from 1997 through 2008, was an assistant coach at UNO in 1990-91.
That team, led by current USC head coach Tim Floyd, reached the '91 NCAA Tournament.
It was the first time UNO won a conference game by double figures this year.
ASU scored the game's opening basket but never led again after Worley answered with a 3-pointer.
The Privateers led 39-30 at halftime and led by as many as 11 in the first half. Dykes and Worley combined to score 27 points.
UNO grabbed its biggest lead of the game at 51-39 with 14:28 left after a Dykes jumper. But after Worley hit a 3-pointer to make it 54-43 with 11:14 remaining, UNO went cold.
The Privateers went scoreless for the next 4:28, and a Boone layup with 7:48 to play made it 54-50. But the Red Wolves could not get any closer, as UNO scored the next five points to pull ahead.
ASU fell for the sixth straight time at UNO. The Red Wolves have not won at UNO since Feb. 6, 1999.
The Privateers finished the regular season 9-6 at Lakefront Arena. UNO is hoping to host a first-round game in the upcoming Sun Belt Tournament.
Seeds four through eight will host No. 9 through 13 in opening-round play. The Privateers entered the game in the No. 12 slot but were only 1 ½ games out of No. 7.
UNO will continue Sun Belt play at 7:15 pm. on Sunday at Louisiana-Lafayette.
