LAKE CHARLES—The shooting woes for McNeese women's basketball continued here Sunday afternoon in a 66-56 loss to Louisiana Tech that snapped a two game Cowgirl winning streak over the Techsters in the last two years.
 
"They were more aggressive and had a lot more energy from the jump and were boxing us out better. We lost our attack mode that we have been having but as the game went on we got better."
 
McNeese (4-3) shot 30.8 percent from the field (20-65) and shot 52.6 percent from the charity stripe, making 10-19. The Cowgirls outrebounded  the taller Louisiana Tech 45-39 and got a double double from junior Mercedes Rogers who scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Freshman Mady Brasseaux came off the bench to lead McNeese with 13 points. Brasseaux was 5 of 8 from the field including two three-pointers.
 
"We had great looks and we didn't convert them. In the end, the kids have to make those shots. Those are the same shot we made in our first few games."
 
The Cowgirls scored the games first five points on free throws by Amber Donnes and a three-pointer by Caitlin Davis, one of six treys by the Cowgirls.
 
LA Tech (4-2) scored the next six points to take the lead and held a six-point lead with 4:31 left in the first quarter but the Cowgirls outscored the Lady Techsters 9-2 to end the first stanza with a 16-15 lead.
 
The Cowgirls continued to struggle from the field in the second quarter while LA Tech didn't and held as much as an 11-point lead midway through the quarter. McNeese managed to cut the lead and trail by eight (34-26) at the half.     
 
The shots just would fall for the Cowgirls but did for LA Tech in the third period as the Cowgirls trailed by as many as 12 points twice in the quarter. After a 3-pointer by LA Tech's Kierra Anthony with 4:45 left in the quarter, McNeese went on a 8-2 run including four points by Victoria Rachal in that span to cut the Tech lead to six (50-44).
 
The Cowgirls may have not only lost the game but they may have lost Jasmine Carswell for the season as well. Early in the fourth quarter, Carswell made a move to the basket on a fast break and went down with an apparent knee injury.
 
After another 3-pointer by Anthony gave LA Tech another 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter, the Cowgirls continued to stay within reach by scoring the next five points on free throws by Rogers and Brasseaux and a jumper by Dede Sheppard.
 
McNeese uncharacteristically missed some crucial free throws down the stretch and fouled LA Tech in hopes they wouldn't make their free throws but LA Tech scored five of their final nine points from the charity stripe to seal the win.
 
Reauna Cleaver led a trio of LA Tech players in scoring with 20 points on 9 of 13 from the field. Anthony and Rochelle Vasquez both chipped in 11 apiece.
 
McNeese will play its next five games on the road and will return to action next Sunday at Texas Christian.