Box Score LAKE CHARLES – Jamaya Burr and
Tevin Jackson each recorded career-highs in scoring and McNeese managed to avoid a last-minute collapse to down LSU-Alexandria 77-72 in Burton Coliseum Wednesday night to snap a four-game losing streak.
Leading 72-63 and what appeared to be a sure win with 44 seconds to play, LSUA (10-2) scored six points in 11 seconds to cut the gap to 72-69. A technical foul against McNeese with 33 seconds to play on a timeout call with none left, allowed the Generals to get the game to three points.
The lead closed to 1 after Jordin Williams sank a three with 22 seconds left to make it 73-72 but Burr and
Shaun Johnson hit two free throws each in the final 16 seconds to seal the win.
"We knew they (LSUA) were a good team coming in," said head coach
Dave Simmons. "They've already beaten Southeastern Louisiana, Northwestern State, Louisiana College twice and Dillard, so we knew we were going to be challenged."
Burr led the way with 24 points, beating out his previous career-high of 23 scored against Texas State three weeks ago. Jackson netted a career-best for the second straight game with 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting.
McNeese (2-7) shot just 37 percent for the game and was just 5 of 19 from three-point range.
"Had we shot it better, the margin of victory would've been wider," said Simmons. "But we're happy to get the win against a good team."
Burr corralled most of his points from the free throw line where he knocked down 14 of 16. He made his first 11 before missing his first.
Craig McFerrin added a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Brian Sylvester led the Generals with 22 points and 15 boards. LSUA, who was held 12 points below its season average, shot 37 percent from the field after hitting 27 of 73 and was 4 of 22 from long range.
LSUA led 33-31 at the half as neither team led by more than four points in the first 20 minutes. The score margin continued at that distance for the first eight minutes of the second half until the Cowboys were able to score five straight to build a 47-45 lead into a 52-45 margin followed five straight free throws.
After LSUA cut the lead back to five,
James Harvey knocked down a three to make it 55-47 with 11:41 to play.
McFerrin gave the Cowboys a 9-point lead at 65-56 on a layup with 3:21 to play then after Dequavious Wagner hit a layup with 2:08 to play to cut the Cowboys' lead to 67-61, McNeese hit four more consecutive free throws to build the lead to 71-61 with 1:04 to play.
McNeese's last 12 points scored in the final three minutes all came at the charity stripe as the Cowboys hit 30 of 37 for the game.
The Cowboys will next be in action on Tuesday night at UCLA before a brief Christmas break. Following that game, McNeese will return home on Dec. 29 against Jarvis Christian in the final game before starting Southland Conference play.
