| McNeese secured a strong victory against Northwestern State at home Dec. 5 and cut it close to pull out a road win against the University of Rhode Island Tuesday. The Cowboys open conference play vs East Texas A&M tonight with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. In the match against Northwestern, the Cowboys controlled the game from the opening tip and rolled to a 92–54 win. McNeese surged early with a 13–0 run in the first three minutes, including back‑to‑back dunks and free throws, setting the tone for a dominant night. By halftime, the Bayou Bandits were up 58–24, after a 24–0 run in just over five minutes, putting the game out of reach for Northwestern. McNeese outscored Northwestern State in every major category, including points in the paint, bench scoring, fast‑break points, and points off turnovers. McNeese guards Larry Johnson and Tyshawn Archie led McNeese with 14 points while Garwey Dual and Carl Cherenfant contributed 12. “It felt good…to get out to our start,” Cherenfant said. “We’ve been talking about that, making an emphasis, so it felt good getting that done tonight.” On Tuesday night in Kingston, Rhode Island, McNeese edged out Rhode Island 66–64 on a dramatic clutch jumper by Archie with two seconds left on the clock. At halftime, the game was tied at 37–37. In the second half, both teams battled back and forth, but Archie’s late jump shot sealed the win. Archie finished with 18 points, going 7‑of‑12 from the field. Senior guard Javohn Garcia added 13 points, while Johnson contributed 12 points. “What a hard-fought battle,” McNeese head coach Bill Armstrong said. “To find a way to win on the road in an A10 school, I believe it was a top win. What a great job by the guys, I’m super proud of them.” With the win against Rhode Island, McNeese improved to 8–2 on the season. They will look to extend a 17-game home win streak, the nation’s fourth longest, tonight vs. East Texas A&M. |
