LAKE CHARLES – Keelan Garrett's 3-point attempt with 4.1 seconds to play to tie the game was blocked Northwestern State's Devonte Hall as the Demons rallied then held on for a 75-72 win over McNeese State here Saturday afternoon in a battle of in-state Southland Conference rivals.
 
McNeese (9-14, 3-9) led by as many as 11 points in the first half and held 35-33 at the break. But NSU (13-10, 8-4) used a 10-1 run in a 2 ½ minute span to go from five down at 52-47 with 12:06 to play, to a 57-53 lead at the 9:38 mark in a run that was started by a three-pointer by Jalen West and capped off by a 3 from Matt Killian.
 
The Demons never lost the lead again but was never able to extend it by more than six points. McNeese cut it to 1 after a Lance Potier layup with 1:17 to play but Zeek Woodley sand a basket from the top of the key with 59 seconds left to put the Demons back up by 3.
 
"That was probably the play of the game right there," said McNeese head coach Dave Simmons. "Had he missed that shot, then we have the ball going the other way with a chance to go up with less than a minute to play."
 
Desharick Guidry, who notched his 17^th double-double on the season with 20 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, cut the gap back to 1 point with 38 ticks left. West, who finished the game with 17 points, hit two free throws with 14.3 seconds to play to put NSU back up by 3 and setting up the Cowboys' final possession.
 
"I thought we came out and played a lot harder and with more energy," said Simmons. "We had our chances but just couldn't get them to fall. Northwestern State is a really good team."
 
Kevin Hardy joined Guidry in the double-double department with a game-high 24 points that also tied a career-high, and grabbed 11 rebounds. He had 12 of those in the first half and 10 coming in a McNeese 18-2 run in a five minute span that saw the Cowboys go from down 18-13 with 14:04 on the clock to a 31-20 lead with 8:20 to play in the half.
 
Jamaya Burr added 11 points to go along with three assists.
 
McNeese shot 39.4 percent for the game (28 of 71) but was just 2 of 20 from three-point land and 14 of 23 for 61 percent from the free throw line. The Cowboys roped in 45 rebounds, four more than the Demons. McNeese pulled in 20 offensive boards and netted 22 second chance points.
 
"To get 20 offensive rebounds, that goes to show you that we were dominating underneath," said Simmons. "What hurt us was going 2 for 20 from 3-point range and missing nine free throws."
 
NSU hit 28 of 63 for 44.4 percent and 7 of 22 for 32 percent from long range. The Demons knocked down 12 of 13 from the charity strip with their only miss coming on the final attempt with 3.2 seconds to play.
 
Woodley led the Demons with 18 points while Ta'Jon Welcome scored 10.
 
The loss was the third straight suffered by the Cowboys on the season and the fifth straight setback to the Demons in the series.
 
McNeese will return to action on Monday at 7 when it hosts Southeastern Louisiana.