The McNeese Cowboys men’s basketball team defeated the Southeastern Lions 88-82 on Monday night in Hammond, Louisiana. The win puts the Cowboys within reach of a share of the Southland Title, needing only a Lamar loss or one more win to clinch.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The game began with both teams exchanging buckets in the early stages. Southeastern put together an 8-6 lead, but then McNeese created a run. A 14-0 run capped off by another DJ Richards Jr three gave McNeese the 20-8 lead.
From there, the Cowboys maintained their lead throughout much of the first half. However, the Lions had a run in them before the end of the half. After being down 34-21, Southeastern closed the half with a 23-10 stretch that got the lead down to three at 44-41 at the half. Jeremy Elyzee had three triples during that run to help the Lions along.
Southeastern continued their momentum into the early stages of the second half. At the 16:30 mark, they retook the lead for the first time since the early stages of the contest. Another Jaiden Lawrence three a little later gave them their largest lead at 56-49. That was when the Cowboys started to turn the tide again.
After McNeese chipped away for several minutes, Joe Charles nailed a three to retake the lead 63-62. With a 70-66 lead, the Cowboys put together an 8-2 run and their defensive intensity ramped up. They prevented Southeastern from scoring for more than four consecutive minutes at one point in the final eight minutes. Eventually, they pulled away for the 88-82 win.
BIG NUMBER: 52
McNeese shot 52% from the three-point line in this game. They were smart about the looks they took, and that efficiency helped them secure the win.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Joe Charles
The Carencro native had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. He made four three-pointers to help pace McNeese in a big road win.
UP NEXT: McNeese will return home to face Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Saturday, February 22nd inside the Legacy Center at 4:00 PM.