ARLINGTON, Texas—Head coach Brooks Donald Williams preaches defense and from the way the Cowgirls opened the game against Dartmouth (0-2) Friday night, Williams and her staff made it priority in practice last week. The Cowgirls held The Big Green to 1 of 15 from the field in the first 15 minutes of the game in their 78-56 win over Dartmouth in the preseason WNIT Consolation Bracket.
McNeese (1-1) will face the winner of the UTA/Jacksonville game Saturday. The Cowgirl game time will be determined following the UTA/Jacksonville game.
"Hats off to our girls, we played night and day tonight from the way we play against Chattanooga last Friday," said Williams. "We set the tone from the tip defensively and I thought that was the biggest difference."
McNeese got 32 combined points from seniors
Jayln Johnson and
Allison Baggett in the win. Junior Hailey Jenkins also scored in double figures, ending the game with 10. Sophomore
Frederica Haywood nearly picked up her first double-double of the season with nine points and 10 rebounds.
Johnson led all players with 19 points while Baggett chipped in 13. Johnson was 5 of 11 from the field including two 3-pointers. She was also perfect from the free throw line, making all seven attempts. Baggett was 5 of 18 with one 3-pointer.
Dartmouth's Daisy Jordan led The Big Green with 14 points. Lakin Roland led all players with 11 rebounds with six coming on the offensive end.
The Cowgirls held Dartmouth to four field goals and a 17.4 field goal shooting percent late in the second quarter. The Cowgirls also outrebounded The Big Green 24-19 in the first two quarters. Haywood, picked up a total of six rebounds against Chattanooga last week, equaled that in the first quarter tonight.
McNeese outscored Dartmouth in the first three quarters including outscoring The Big Green 25-12 in the second quarter. The Cowgirls scored 36 of their points in the paint and got 35 from its bench.
The Cowgirls led for all but 3:41 minutes and held as much as 26 point lead with 1:55 left to play while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 40 percent from behind the arc. McNeese who normally shoots well from the free throw line, continue that by making 10 of 11. Free throw shooting is what kept Dartmouth in the game as they made 23 of 36 for the game .
