LAKE CHARLES--  McNeese women's basketball team got double figure scoring from six players including double doubles from Frederica Haywood and Mercedes Rogers here Saturday in its 96-62 Southland Conference win over Nicholls on senior day. The win clinched no less than the fourth seed and a first round bye in the upcoming Southland Conference Tournament.

McNeese ended the game 38 of 76 from the field for 50.0 percent including 11 of 26 from three-point range (42.3).
Rogers, Victoria Rachal, and Keara Hudnall all led the Cowgirls with 13 points apiece. Rogers finished her double double with a career high 14 rebounds. Haywood's double double (11 pts., 12 reb.) was her second straight and fourth of the season.

Senior Allison Baggett ended the game with 12 and Jasmyn Carswell had 10. Senior Jayln Johnson became McNeese's career assist leader following the first two Cowgirl baskets of the game on back-to-back 3-pointers by Baggett and Rachal. Johnson ended the game with seven assists.

The Cowgirls came out aggressive on both ends of the floor. After Nicholls tied the game at three apiece, McNeese took the lead for good on Rachal's three-pointer two minutes into the game. McNeese held a 10-point lead four minutes into the game following a Carswell jumper and led 22-7 with 2:53 left in the first quarter.

McNeese dominated Nicholls in all phases of the game with a 50-32 rebound edge. The Cowgirls scored 40 of their 96 points in the paint including 33 second chance points.

The Cowgirls held as much as a 21 point lead late in the second half and went into the half leading 45-27.
The second half also belonged to McNeese as they held a 29 point lead several times in the third quarter and led 71-46 after the third period.

A Keara Hudnall three-pointer with 4:48 to play gave McNeese a 32 point lead and the Cowgirls held their largest lead of the game of 36 on a Rogers layup with 2:38 to play.

Nicholls had three players score in double figures with Karrington Brown leading the Colonels with 17. Taylor Morrison added 13 and Hope Pawlowski pitched in with 11.

McNeese will close out the regular season next Saturday with a 2 p.m. game at Central Arkansas.