Feb. 4, 2006

Box Score

LAKE CHARLES, La. - Senior Alan Daniels scored 23 points, but Lamar couldn't overcome a season-high 21 turnovers in losing 76-72 at McNeese State Saturday afternoon in Southland Conference men's basketball action at Burton Coliseum.

Lamar dropped to 12-9 overall and 5-3 in SLC play. The Cardinals, who have lost two straight, dropped to third or fourth in the league standings, depending on how Sam Houston State (5-3) fares against UL-Monroe. Lamar returns to action Wednesday with a 7 p.m. game against Texas State at the Montagne Center.

McNeese State improved to 11-8 overall and 6-2 in SLC play. The Cowboys, who swept the season series from Lamar, took sole possession of second place in the league. The Cowboys have won eight straight games against the Cardinals in Lake Charles and has won eight of the last 10 meetings in the series.

Trailing by six points, 65-59, with less than five minutes to play, the Cardinals mounted a rally that tied the game at 67-67. Josh Goodwin, a Lake Charles native, started the comeback with a pair of free throws at 4:06 that pulled Lamar within four, 65-61. Sophomore Matthew Barrow used a conventional three point play at 3:59 that made the score 65-64.

Following a jumper by the Cowboys' Quentin Gonzales, Jason Grant converted a putback, was fouled and made the free throw to tie the game at 67-67 with 2:19 left in the game. Aldrynn Wardell converted a three point play of his own to put McNeese back up three, 70-67, at 1:58.

Daniels tied the game for the fourth time in the second half with a three-pointer from the left wing that made the score 70-70 with 1:48 remaining. J.T. Williams drove the lane for a layup that reclaimed the lead for the Cowboys at 72-70 at 1:22. With Lamar unable to convert in its next possession, Williams broke free off an inbound pass for a dunk with 24 seconds left in the game that pushed McNeese's lead to 74-70.

Daniels made a pair of free throws with 11.9 remaining that pulled the Cardinals within two, 74-72, but Williams iced the game with a pair of free throws with nine seconds remaining to give McNeese a 76-72 win.

McNeese started the game by jumping out to an early 13-2 lead following a layup by Gonzales. Lamar responded by scoring the next nine points, capped by a Daniels three-pointer. That started a 20-4 run that put the Cardinals up 24-17 on a Brandon McThay layup. Lamar took a 34-27 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Daniels was 7-of-19 from the field, including 5-of-11 from three-point range, and 4-of-6 at the free throw line in scoring 23 points, the 15th time this season he has scored 20 or more points in a game. Junior Brandon Chappell came off the bench to score 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, including 2-of-6 from 3-point range.

Senior Thomas Fairley recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. He also blocked two shots and had three steals. Grant added nine points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field.

Lamar shot 41.5 percent from the field, 29.2 percent from 3-point range and 73.3 percent from the free throw line. The Cardinals grabbed 14 of their 37 rebounds on the offensive glass which led to a 23 to 13 advantage in second chance points.

Williams, who scored a career-high 30 points in the earlier meeting with the Lamar, scored a game-high 25 points to lead McNeese. He was 9-of-14 from the field, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, and 3-of-4 at the free throw line.

Gonzales recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Wardell came off the bench to score 13 points and John Ford added 12.

McNeese shot 50 percent from the field, including 62.5 percent in the second half, 37.5 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent from the free throw line. The Cowboys outscored Lamar 40 to 26 in points in the paint and 16 to 6 in points off turnovers.