LAKE CHARLES – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi used a 22-4 second half run over a 9:01 span and McNeese was held without a field goal for 7:52 in the same half as the Cowboys squandered a 38-36 halftime lead and fell 77-68 here Saturday afternoon in Southland Conference action.
 
The loss was the fourth straight suffered by the Cowboys who fell to 2-11 overall and 0-3 in the league. AMCC improved to 11-3 and 2-0.
 
McNeese trailed just once in the first half when Rashawn Thomas hit two free throws just 13 seconds into the game to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead. McNeese tied the game on a Tevin Jackson jumper then went up on a Craig McFerrin layup and never looked back en route to a 2-point halftime lead.
 
"We did a good job in the first half," said head coach Dave Simmons. "We made our shots, did a good job on the boards and really held (Brandon) Pye in check."
 
McFerrin, who scored 8 points for the Cowboys, put McNeese up 42-38 with 16:43 to play in the game. That's when AMCC's Pye took over and scored 9 of the Islanders next 20 points to help Corpus build a 60-46 lead just eight minutes later. Pye, who finished with 19 points, scored 17 of those in the second half.
 
McNeese snapped its field goal drought on a layup by Jamaya Burr with 5:58 to play to cut the deficit to 62-50. That started a run that saw Burr and Jarren Greenwood connect on back-to-back 3s to cut the lead to 64-58 with 4:13 to play.
 
Burr led the Cowboys with 17 points while Greenwood added 14.
 
Corpus built the lead back up to 9 with 3:20 to play but a three by Matthew Moss trimmed it to 6 again at 67-61 with 3:05 to go but the Cowboys were unable to get any closer.
 
"We got better tonight," said Simmons. "We came out flat in the second half and they went on their run. But we fought back and got back into the game. We got some good effort from all of our players. We battled."
 
McNeese definitely improved in the area of rebounds where it held a 36-27 advantage over the Islanders, including a 12-8 edge in offensive boards.
 
But an area that severely disabled McNeese was in the turnover department where the Cowboys committed 20 miscues that led to 23 Corpus points.
 
McNeese connected on 42 percent from the field (20-48) and was 8 of 24 from three-point range while Corpus hit 24 of 53 for 45 percent and 3 of 10 from long range. The Islanders hit 26 of 32 foul shots and McNeese 20 of 27. A total of 48 fouls were called in the game.
 
Rashawn Thomas led Corpus with 28 points and 11 rebounds while Hameed Ali scored 11.
 
McNeese will be off for the next few days before returning to action next Saturday at home against Sam Houston State.