Courtesy: Brandon Scardigli P.J. Alawoya puts in a dunk.
Thibodeaux, LA – The McNeese State Cowboys couldn’t top the home team as they fell here 63-61 to the Nicholls State Colonels.
Cowboy Diego Kapelan gave his team their first lead since losing it late in the first half when he sunk a three-pointer with 4:05 left in the game, making it 59-56 in favor of the Cowboys.
Nicholls (7-12, 3-3) would answer, tying it up again at 61 before a Patrick Richard jumper put McNeese (7-12, 2-3) in the drivers seat once again with 1:41 left. The Colonels were not done, however, as they put in four quick points, giving Nicholls a two point advantage with eight seconds to go.
The Cowboys had the ball but failed to make the tying shot as P.J. Alawoya slipped in the paint going for a lay-up.
“We had a great opportunity to be playing for first place against Stephen F. Austin on Sunday but we just didn’t do our job,” said McNeese State head coach Dave Simmons. “This was a close ball game that we definitely should have won.”
McNeese jumped out to a quick eight point lead to open up the game but a 13-2 Nicholls run before the end of the half would send the Cowboys to the locker room down 35-32. The Cowboys did not regain the lead until Kapelan’s three-pointer.
As a team the Cowboys were proficient from the three-point range, making 10 of their 18 tries, tying a season high from beyond the arc. Kapelan made four of seven while teammate C.J. Collins was four for six. Seven of the team’s 10 triples came during the first half.
Three Cowboys were in double digit scoring. Collins led with 14 while Kapelan and Alawoya finished with 12. Patrick Richard was held to single digits for just the fifth time in the team’s 19 games, finishing with eight points.
“It’s very disappointing that we beat them in every statistical category except from the free throw line,” said Simmons. “We had chances to put it away but we just weren’t smart with our shot selection down the stretch.”
McNeese once again faltered from the free throw line, making just five of their 16 tries while Nicholls was 12-18.
The Cowboys continue to outrebound their opponents; grabbing 32 lose balls to the Colonels 29. Alawoya ended up with nine while Elbryan Neal took six.
McNeese will return home to face off against Eastern Division leaders in the Southland Conference the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks. The contest is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. at the Lake Charles Civic Center on Sunday, January 31.
Courtesy: Brandon Scardigli
