The McNeese Cowboys men’s basketball team defeated the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders 74-73 on Monday night in Corpus Christi, Texas. The win keeps McNeese unbeaten in Southland play.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Islanders were able to start off hot, creating a 7-2 run to take the early advantage. They were trying to run in transition off of turnovers and increase the pace of play.
That run was answered by a Cowboys’ run. 11-2 was the stretch that gave McNeese the lead, led by a couple of threes by Joe Charles. That made it 13-9.
From there, the teams went back and forth for the rest of the half. Neither team was able to separate, and the Islanders tried to use the crowd to their advantage. By the halftime break, McNeese was facing their first Southland halftime deficit of the season, trailing 37-35.
McNeese started the second half on a 10-1 run, and it was starting to look like they’d run away with it when they gained the 45-38 lead. However, the Islanders would not go away, creating multiple runs to eventually retake the lead.
Corpus Christi’s ability to get to the free throw line became a problem, and it led to a 60-55 lead when they made a 9-0 run with seven points coming at the line.
The game of runs continued, as Will Wade’s group promptly responded with a 10-0 run of their own to take a 65-60 lead. Javohn Garcia was the catalyst of the effort, and the Cowboys held the lead inside of five minutes to play.
Down the stretch, McNeese held onto their lead with strong defense and enough made free throws. The Islanders made a charge, but could not finish closing the gap in the final minutes. McNeese held onto the 74-73 win.
BIG NUMBER: 52
The Cowboys shot 52% from three in this game. Their efficiency out there helped them withstand the runs that the Islanders put together.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Javohn Garcia
Garcia scored 14 points, but most of his points came in the second half. He led the Cowboys when they needed important buckets and helped them survive this road game.
UP NEXT: McNeese will travel to Thibodaux to face Nicholls on Saturday, February 1st at 3:00 PM.