LAKE CHARLES—Jasmyn Carswell pulled down a career high 12 rebounds and nearly missed her first career double-double with nine points in a 62-53 McNeese women's basketball win over Rice Wednesday.
 
"I really don't think we were doing anything wrong offensively in the beginning of the game, " said head coach Brooks Donald Williams. "We had open shots and were playing within ourselves, they just weren't going in. I think the one thing we needed during that stretch in the first and second quarter and some of the third was second chance opportunities," Williams said.
 
Seniors Allison Baggett and Jayln Johnson both got off to a cold start but paced the Cowgirls in scoring with 20 and 14, respectively.
 
Neither team shot the ball well from the field in the first quarter with McNeese shooting 22.7 percent from the field (5 of 22) and Rice shot 33.3 percent (4-12) and the Cowgirls only trailed 13-10 after the first period.
 
McNeese continued to trail in the second quarter before McNeese went on a 7-0 run to take a 24-21 lead following two free throws by Johnson. A layup by Rice's Adaeze Obinnah with less than a minute left in the quarter cut the Cowgirl lead to 24-23 and that would remain as the halftime score.
 
Baggett and Johnson began to warm up in the third quarter as the Cowgirls outscored Rice 19-14 in the quarter to extend their lead to 43-37.
 
McNeese opened the fourth quarter on a 12-5 run to take their largest lead of the game of 13 points (55-42). During that six-minute span, Baggett scored the first eight points and Johnson scored four.   
 
Rice would get as close as five points (57-52) with 1:17 left in the game but the Cowgirls used the free throw line to their advantage to score their final five points to seal the victory.
 
McNeese will break for Thanksgiving then will host Southern-New Orleans at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29.