LAKE CHARLES — With six players scoring in double figures, the McNeese Cowboys avenged their lone Southland Conference loss from a season ago as they handled the Nicholls Colonels 94-68 at the Townsley Law Arena.
With the victory, Bill Armstrong’s McNeese squad is now in a three-way tie with Nicholls and Stephen F. Austin atop the SLC standings.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The game started as a chippy back-and-forth affair with the two teams trading buckets back and forth.
Nicholls’ Trae English made a fast break layup, but McNeese responded with a three-pointer by Javohn Garcia. The Colonels retook the lead with another layup by English, but the Cowboys answered again with a jumper by Larry Johnson.
Nicholls retook the lead with a layup by Christian Winborne, but that would be the last time the Colonels held a lead. McNeese’s Tyshawn Archie and Jacolb Fredson-Cole made back-to-back jumpers, and moments later, Peitok Machar put down an alley-oop dunk.
After Johnson drained a three-pointer with 11:10 left, McNeese led Nicholls 18-11. The Cowboys remained in control, and a layup by Johnson sparked an 8-0 run. Nicholls ended the run with a three by Winborne, but McNeese answered with a three by Garcia.
At the break, McNeese led Nicholls 37-19.
Nicholls started the second half with a three-pointer by Jaylen Searles. McNeese answered with a layup by Johnson and then moments later pushed its lead to 21 points with a three by Garcia.
McNeese kept their foot on the gas as the Cowboys pushed their lead to 31 points after a DJ Richards’ three-pointer with 11:59 left. After the Colonels made a trio of free throws to cut it down to 28, Richards would hit another three.
McNeese’s lead would never be threatened as the Cowboys cruised to a 26-point conference victory.
BIG NUMBER: 52
McNeese was efficient with its shot-making on Monday night as the Cowboys made 32-of-62 shots (5 percent) in the victory over Nicholls.
BIG NUMBER II: 42
With Monday night’s victory, McNeese improves to 42-1 at home since the start of the 2023-24 season.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME: LARRY JOHNSON & DJ RICHARDS
Johnson led the Cowboys with 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting while also pulling down 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. Richards, meanwhile, scored a season-high 20 points as he made 4-of-6 from three-point range.
UP NEXT: McNeese (14-3, 7-1 SLC) returns to action on Saturday when it travels to take on UTRGV. Tip is set for 4:30 p.m.