Box Score GAME STATS

SAN ANTONIO – McNeese's best shooting night of the season got lost in the final seven minutes of the game against Incarnate Word when a 13-point lead turned into an 86-84 loss here Monday night in Southland Conference basketball action.
 
The Cowboys (7-11, 1-6 SLC) hit a season-high 61.1 percent from the field (33 of 54) and was shooting a blistering 31 of 49 for 63.2 percent that led to a 74-61 lead with 7:31 to play. But the Cowboys were held to just five attempts the rest of the way, coupled with three turnovers that led to scores, allowed the Cardinals (11-5, 3-3) to rally for a 25-10 run the rest of the way to get the win.
 
"We let one get away," said head coach Dave Simmons. "We ruined a great offensive night. We just didn't get the job done down the stretch. We missed some rebounds and turned it over and they got points in return."
 
Desharick Guidry had one of his better nights of the season after scoring 26 points on 11 of 15 shooting, including hitting 2 of 3 from 3-point range. He added 11 rebounds to notch his 13^th double-double of the season.
 
Four other Cowboys scored in double-digits as well. Kevin Hardy netted 18 with eight assists and three steals; Matthew Moss scored 11 on 3 of 4 shooting from long range; and Austin Lewis and Keelan Garrett each scored 10. Jamaya Burr had seven points to go along with nine assists and just one turnover.
 
UIW was led in scoring by Jontrell Walker who scored 24 points with 16 of those coming in the second half on four three-point goals. Conference scoring leader Denzel Livingston added 22 points while Mitchell Badillo scored 14 and Traylin Farris 12.
 
Badillo's layup with 2 seconds left gave the Cardinals a two point lead. Guidry's full-length court in-bound pass attempt hit the arena's midcourt speakers and was ruled a turnover, squashing any last second attempt for the Cowboys to get the win or send it to overtime.
 
The  Cowboys led 46-34 at the half behind Guidry's 18-point outburst. McNeese trailed 7-4 five minutes into the game but then scored 10 straight to go up 14-7 with 12:39 to play following a Guidry layup.
 
UIW climbed to within 3 at 26-23 after two Badillo free throws but treys by Garrett and Guidry kept the Cardinals at a distance as McNeese built a 38-27 lead with 3:26 to play in the half.
 
Walker hit his first of five 3-pointers with just over a minute to play to cut the gap to 8 points but Hardy hit a jumper and layup in the final 40 seconds to give the Cowboys their 12 advantage at the half.
 
Walker heated up early in the second half and after two 3s, closed the gap to four points at 52-48 with 16:24 to play. But the Cowboys struck back with Hardy igniting a rally with a baseline drive dunk, then Moss followed with back-to-back three-pointers to give the Cowboys a 69-56 lead with 10:10 to play.
 
UIW's Shawn Johnson snapped McNeese's streak with a trey and Livingston followed with a layup on an offensive rebound, and the lead was cut to 8. But Guidry struck back with a three-pointer then hit a jumper off a steal from Hardy to make it 74-61 with 7:47 to play.
 
Badillo gave UIW its first lead since early in the game on a layup to make it 80-79 with 2:58 to play. Guidry tied it after hitting one of two free throws and Walker put the Cardinals up 82-80 on a jumper with 2:04 to play.
 
Hardy tied it up with a layup with 1:46 to go and Walker fed Livingston for a dunk to give UIW an 84-82 lead with 1:14 to play. Hardy missed two free throws with 52 seconds left but made up for it after blocking Johnson's shot with 18 seconds to go. He was fouled in transition and hit two free throws to tie it at 84-84 with 12 seconds left. That set up Badillo's game-winning layup when he drove the lane for the layup with 2 seconds to play.
 
McNeese hit 7 of 13 from long range (53.8 percent) but was just 11 of 19 (57.9 percent) from the free throw line. UIW hit 30 of 62 for 48.4 percent from the field and was 8 of 27 for 29.6 percent from 3-point range. The Cardinals knocked down 18 of 20 from the line for 90 percent and held a 37-23 advantage on the rebounds.