Jan. 28, 2007
Box Score
LAKE CHARLES, La. - Junior Darren Hopkins scored 14 points to lead Lamar University, however, McNeese State outscored Lamar 31-10 over the final 10 minutes of the game to grab a 68-60 come-from-behind win over the Cardinals Sunday evening in Southland Conference men's basketball action at the Civic Center.
Lamar dropped to 8-12 overall and 2-4 in SLC play. McNeese State improved to 8-12 overall and 3-3 in SLC play. The Cardinals return home to host Nicholls State Thursday at 7:05 p.m.
Trailing much of the first half, Matthew Barrow tied the game at 14-14 with a three-pointer at 7:47. A Brandon Chappell 3-pointer at 1:43 tied the game for the third time at 24-24. Hopkins nailed a 3-pointer with 40 second remaining in the opening stanza that gave the Cardinals a 27-24 halftime lead.
Currye Todd and Hopkins hit back-to-back 3-pointers to open the second half, extending Lamar's lead to nine, 33-24. Another Todd 3-pointer at 12:39 pushed the lead to 12, 43-31. A Hopkins 3-pointer at 10:14 gave the Cardinals their biggest lead at 50-37.
However, that's when the game started to slip away for Lamar. Quentin Gonzales nailed a 3-pointer and hit a jumper on consecutive possessions for the Cowboys, and Troy Aaron hit a pair of free throws to make the score 50-44. After Stephen Musa hit a pair of free throws for Lamar, Aaron hit a 3-pointer, John Ford made 1-of-2 free throws and Jarvis Bradley made two free throws to pull McNeese within two, 52-50, with 6:44 left in the game.
Lamar's Ray Sansom fouled Ford and was whistled for a technical foul as well. Ford made all four free throws to give McNeese the lead at 54-52. Matthew Barrow answered for the Cardinals with a pair of free throws that tied the game at 54-54.
Bradley made 3-of-4 free throws on the Cowboys' next two possessions to push the lead to 57-54 at 3:57. After Barrow hit a jumper in the lane for the Cardinals, Ford nailed a three-pointer that made the score 60-56 at 2:59.
After Musa made 1-of-2 free throws for Lamar, Ford hit his second straight 3-pointer to push the lead to 63-57. The Cowboys sealed the win at the free throw line with Aaron made two, Rory Lawrence making 1-of-2 and Ford sinking two with 8.0 seconds left.
Hopkins was 5-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range to lead Lamar. Barrow added 13 points and four assists, but also committed a season-high eight turnovers. Todd chipped in 11 points, but was 3-of-16 from the field, including 3-of-11 from 3-point range. He did grab a team-high seven rebounds.
Lamar shot 33.3 percent (16-of-48) from the field, 40 percent (10-of-25) from 3-point range and 66.7 percent (18-of-27) from the free throw line.
Ford led McNeese with 18 points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, and 10-of-12 at the free throw line. Bradley added 15 points and nine rebounds. Gonzales came off the bench to record a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Aaron added 10 points.
McNeese shot 38.5 percent (20-of-52) from the field, 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from 3-point range and 75 percent (21-of-28) from the free throw line. The Cowboys outrebounded Lamar 44 to 33.
