LAKE CHARLES, La. - For the second time this season, a member of Lamar University's women's basketball team achieved the 1,000-point career mark, which highlighted Big Red's 82-50 win over McNeese. In just her third year on the team and needing 15 points for the milestone, Akasha Davis eclipsed the thousand-point plateau at the 2:11 mark in the third quarter on her way to 20 points. LU is 3-0 in Southland Conference play for the first time since 2018-19 and are also 9-4 following their fourth straight victory. LU has also won their last 14 games against McNeese.
Davis was one of three Cardinals in double-figures as she finished with eight-of-12 from the field and converted four-of-five from the free throw line. She also snagged 14 rebounds to mark her fifth double-double of the year and 23rd in her career. NJ Weems tallied 11 points hitting four-of-six from the field while R'Mani Taylor netted 10 points. Though Sabria Dean tallied seven points, she was big on the boards with 10 for the game. Big Red finished shooting 47.1% from the field and out rebounded the Cowgirls 45-29.
The Cowgirls grabbed an early 2-1 lead before the Cardinals responded on an 8-1 run for a 9-3 advantage. Five points later, the Cowgirls were within one. But then, the Cardinals ended the first quarter with 13 straight points starting with threes from Brooklyn Mitchell and Taylor. Davis tallied eight first quarter points as LU made 40% from the field and led 22-8 following a Jacei Denley buzzer-beater.
Big Red's run continued into the second quarter as LU stretched it to 19 straight points before the Cowgirls got on the board. McNeese only cut the deficit to 15 (31-16) but the Cardinals had a 56.3% shooting quarter. Taylor and Malay McQueen each tallied seven points in the quarter while Davis made five more points to sit within three from the milestone. When Dean converted a three-pointer to beat the buzzer, LU's 48 doubled McNeese's 24 at the half.
The third quarter opened with Dean picking up four points to finish with seven for the game. Weems would come to life scoring seven points in the quarter to have her 11 in the game. Davis scored her 14th point at the 6:17 mark to be at 999 career points. After being subbed off, the Dallas native came back into the game and at the 2:11 mark, she made the lay-up to be at 1,001 points. It was only fitting that Davis would record LU's third buzzer-beater of the game with a lay-up and LU led 67-34 after three.
Davis would get one more basket before being subbed out with 20 points. The Cardinals would empty the bench and though they were outscored 16-15 in the final quarter, every player that played for the Cardinals tonight found the scoresheet. This would include Elise Jones, who made her first career point with a free throw while Victoria Mason made a driving lay-up.
The Cardinals hit the road once again this Saturday as they will take on Nicholls at 1:00 p.m.
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