BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - A.J. Slaughter and Steffphon Pettigrew each scored 18 points as Western Kentucky cruised to a 76-56 win over visiting New Orleans on Saturday.
Caden Dickerson added 14 points and was one of five scorers in double figures for WKU (12-10, 5-5 Sun Belt Conference). Jeremy Evans had 12 points and 13 rebounds, while freshman Jamal Crook chipped in 11.
UNO's Charles Carmouche tallied a career-high 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He was the only Privateer to hit double figures.
The Privateers (7-15, 2-9) committed a season-high 25 turnovers and shot just 20 percent from the field in the second half. WKU scored 25 points off the UNO miscues.
"We have no margin of error and when we waste 25 possessions against a team like Western Kentucky, it's impossible," said UNO head coach Joe Pasternack. "Turnovers are just plaguing us. Basketball is a game of mistakes, and the team that makes the fewest mistakes is going to win."
The first half, though, saw UNO have one of its better offensive outings of late. The Privateers shot 64 percent, though WKU hit at a 60 percent clip to grab a 43-36 lead at halftime.
The Hilltoppers put the game away during an 11-0 run in the second half that saw WKU hold UNO scoreless for more than seven minutes.
WKU snapped a five-game losing streak, while the Privateers dropped their fourth straight.
The Privateers will return to Lakefront Arena on Thursday with a 7 p.m. matchup against South Alabama. For ticket information, please call 504-280-GAME or visit UNOPrivateers.com.
