The McNeese Cowboys men’s basketball team defeated the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 95-64 on Monday night inside the William R. Johnson Coliseum. The win allowed the Cowboys to finish the regular season 25-6 with a 19-1 mark in Southland Conference play.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Both teams got off to a solid start, shooting well from the field. McNeese was hot from the outside, and Joe Charles knocked down two straight threes to give them an early advantage.
The lead got to 14-8, but SFA responded with an 8-0 run to retake a lead of their own. The teams went back and forth for a stretch after this until McNeese put together a run inside of nine minutes left in the first half. From down 24-23, the Cowboys went to up 31-24 after an 8-0 stretch of their own.
That lead was maintained and even extended before the break. At the half, McNeese led 46-37.
Charles hit another three out of the locker room, and that helped to set the second half tone. The Lumberjacks struggled offensively at this point, and that allowed McNeese to create a comfortable lead.
By the under 12 minute media break, the Cowboys lead was all the way to 20 at 62-42. The offense continued to flow from there on out, led by some sharp-shooting from the outside.
BIG NUMBER: 13
McNeese made double-digit threes on the night, allowing them to lengthen their lead in the second half. When the Cowboys have the outside shots falling, they have proven very difficult to contend with in SLC play.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Joe Charles
The Carencro native was a model of efficiency on the night, as he did not miss a single shot. 5-5 from beyond the arc gave Joe 15 points to go along with nine rebounds, falling just one board shy of a double-double.
UP NEXT: McNeese will gear up for the Southland Conference Tournament, hosted at the Legacy Center in Lake Charles. The Cowboys have a bye all the way into the semifinals.