Jan. 17, 2009
Box Score
LAKE CHARLES, La. - Lamar suffered one of its worst shooting games of the season in dropping its second game of the week, 75-63, at McNeese State in Burton Coliseum on Saturday.
Lamar (10-6, 1-2 Southland) shot just 38 percent overall and was 14-of-25 from the free throw line, while McNeese (7-8, 1-1 SLC) shot 51 percent and never trailed over the final 24 minutes.
After a pair of Jay Brown 3-pointers gave Lamar a 6-2 lead, McNeese used a 9-0 run to take a 11-6 lead ledd than four minutes into the game. The Cowboys' lead stayed around five most of the next 10 minutes before a Kenny Dawkins 3-pointer tied the game at 29 with 4:27 in the half.
But a 9-2 Cowboy run to close the half made it a seven-point game at 38-31.
Lamar came out in the second half with three baskets to cut the deficit to 38-37. The teams traded buckets over the next five minutes and with 13:29 to play, a Tristan Worrell jumper made it 44-43 McNeese. The Cardinals never seemed to be able to get closer than one or two missing out on three possessions to either tie the game or take the lead.
Following a Charlie Harper tip-in at the 11:39 mark that cut the lead to two points, McNeese went on a 12-3 skein that ended on a pair of C.J. Collins 3-pointers with 8:14 remaining.
Lamar battled back and trimmed the Cowboy lead to six on two occasions, with the last coming with just under a minute to play, but couldn't get any closer.
Ashton Hall led the Cardinals with 14 points, all of which came in the first half. He also had seven rebounds as Lamar out-rebounded McNeese 40-36.
Brown recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds, while frontcourt-mate Worrell finished with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting. Brandon McThay scored all 10 of his points in the second half.
Lamar will return home to play host to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (9-9, 3-0 SLC) on Wednesday night. Tip-off at the Montagne Center against the SLC West Division leader is set for 7:05 p.m.
