The McNeese Cowboys made history on Thursday.
No. 12 seed McNeese defeated No. 5 Clemson 69-67 in Thursday’s first-round game in the Midwest Region in Providence, Rhode Island. The victory was the program’s first in the NCAA Tournament. The Cowboys were previously 0-for-3 in the NCAA Tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
McNeese scored first as Joe Charles pulled down a rebound and moments later Christian Schumate threw down a dunk. Clemson responded with a tip-in by Viktor Lakhin. The two teams went back and forth and with 14:07 left in the first half, the game was tied 6-6.
That is when the Will Wade’s team took over.
Brandon Murray made a layup which sparked a 17-2 run for McNeese who led 23-8 with less than six minutes to go before halftime. Clemson tried to get a spark with a three-pointer by Chauncey Wiggins but Murray immediately answered with a layup.
At the break, McNeese held a 31-13 lead over Clemson which was the lowest first-half scoring of the season. The Cowboys’ defense held the Tigers to 21 percent shooting in the first half and forced 10 turnovers. Murray paced McNeese scoring 14 points in the half.
Clemson scored first in the second half with a Jaeden Zackery layup and then an Ian Schieffelin free throw. McNeese responded with a tip-in by Schumate and then a three-pointer by the Cowboys senior star.
McNeese continued to frustrate Clemson and with 7:47 left in the second, the Cowboys held a 51-29 lead over the Tigers.
After Zackery made a pair of free throws with 5:49 left, Clemson had cut the lead down to 13 points. McNeese answered yet again as Quadir Copeland made a two-point bucket and then Murray made a layup.
Clemson clawed right back and after a three-pointer by Zackery and a two-point bucket by Chase Hunter, the Tigers had trimmed the lead down to 10 points with three minutes remaining.
With 2:04 left, Hunter drained a three-pointer to make it an eight-point game. Murray stepped up and made a layup making it a 10-point game with 1:53 left.
Things got interesting in the final moments.
Jake Heidbreder made a three-pointer which made it a six-point game with 38 seconds remaining. Sincere Parker answered with a slam dunk but Zackery responded immediately with a three-pointer for Clemson. With 22 seconds left, McNeese led 67-62.
Clemson fouled Copeland who made one of two free throws, but Wiggins hit a three-pointer to make it 68-65 with 12 seconds left. Clemson then fouled Javohn Garcia who only made one of two free throws as well. The Cowboys held a four-point lead with 10 seconds left.
Zackery missed a three-pointer but Hunter cleaned it up for two points but the buzzer sounded, and the Tigers fell by two points.
BIG NUMBER: 1
With Thursday’s win over Clemson, the McNeese Cowboys recorded their first victory in the NCAA Men’s Tournament. The team had previously fallen 77-71 to Illinois in 1989, 70-58 to Mississippi State in 2002, and 86-65 to Gonzaga last season. The Cowboys were also 0-for-2 in the NCAA Division II Tournament. The last time postseason tournament victory was in 1986 when McNeese defeated Dayton 86-75 in the first round of the NIT.
BIG NUMBER II: 19
McNeese’s defense was the story of Thursday’s victory as the Cowboys forced 13 turnovers. Wade’s team took advantage of those turnovers as they managed to score 19 points off of the miscues.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME: BRANDON MURRAY & CHRISTIAN SCHUMATE
Murray came off the bench and gave the Cowboys the offensive spark they needed in the first half, as he scored 14 of his team-high 21 points in the first half. Despite picking up two quick fouls, Schumate recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds while also blocking two shots.
UP NEXT: No. 12 McNeese (28-6) will take on No. 4 Purdue on Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Tournament.
