The McNeese Cowboys men’s basketball team defeated the Northwestern State Demons 92-67 on Monday night in Natchitoches. The win moves the Cowboys to a perfect 4-0 in Southland Conference play.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The game began with a DJ Richards Jr three-point shot for McNeese to take an early 3-0 lead. Three-point shooting became a theme for the Cowboys in the first half. The Demons battled back and briefly took a 13-12 lead. However, McNeese retook the advantage immediately.
The threes continued to fall, as Richards continued to stay hot. In total, McNeese made nine of them in the first half. They only made six two-point field goals, but their outside shooting was enough to give them a 43-32 lead at the break.
Early in the second half, the Cowboys length and scoring ability took over. An extended run over the first eight minutes more than doubled the lead, as McNeese went from up 11 at the half to up 27 at the 12 minute mark of the second half. Northwestern State scored just two points in that eight minute stretch.
At that point, the Cowboys were on cruise control. They soared to a 92-67 victory to remain unbeaten in conference play.
BIG NUMBER: 16
The Cowboys knocked down 16 three-pointers in the victory. That is the most they have had in any game this season, and it helped them get the win tonight.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: DJ Richards Jr
Richards did most of his damage in the first half, making six threes in total and leading the way with 20 points. He made an incredible 6 of 7 from behind the arc.
UP NEXT: The Cowboys will return home to host Nicholls on Saturday, January 11th inside the Legacy Center. Tipoff is set for 4:00 PM.