HOUSTON – For the second straight game, poor shooting proved to be the poison that doomed McNeese once again as the Cowboys made just 30 percent from the field and Houston Baptist posted a run of 17-5 to close out the final 5:50 of the game to post a 60-49 Southland Conference win over the Cowboys.
 
The loss dropped the Cowboys to 5-10 overall and 2-2 in conference play while HBU evened its record at 7-7 overall and is now 3-1 in the league. The Huskies remained perfect at home with the win, improving to 6-0 on the year while beating the Cowboys for the third consecutive time in the series.
 
Jamaya Burr was the only Cowboy player to score in double-figures, leading the way with 11 points. He and Jarren Greenwood, who had 9 points, were the only two players to make three or more field goals in the game.
 
"We have to do a lot better job shooting the basketball," said McNeese coach Dave Simmons. "Obviously when you shoot 30 percent for the game and 29 percent in the second half, you're not going to win many games."
 
Three other big scorers for the Cowboys on the season – Stephen Ugochukwu, James Harvey and Kalob Ledoux, combined to hit just 5 of 29 for the night.
 
HBU had a big advantage in big man Josh Ibarra, who scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Ibarra, who stand 6-foot-11 and weighs in the neighborhood of 320 pounds, dominated the Cowboys on the glass when he was in the game.
 
McNeese led early on before the Huskies took the lead midway through the first half that lasted until late in the second, but never was able to pull to more than a 6-point advantage.
 
Down 39-34 with 13:05 to play in the game, McNeese took advantage of Ibarra sitting on the bench by rolling off seven straight points and a 9-2 run to go up 45-43 after a LaBarrius Hill layup with 6:53 to play.
 
During that stretch, the Cowboys capitalized on three straight empty possessions by the Huskies while countering with a couple of second chance points by A.J. Brown, a basket by Greenwood and a 3-pointer from Ledoux to give McNeese its first lead since 13:39 mark of the first half.
 
But Ibarra would enter back into the game with 7:47 to play and made his presence known by scoring six of his team's 17 remaining points along with a couple of rebounds and blocked shots while McNeese went 1 for 14 from the field in the final 5:50 of the game.
 
HBU's Colter Lasher added 17 points as the Huskies connected on 15 of 27 from the field for 56 percent in the second half.
 
The Huskies posted a 45-37 advantage in rebounds while McNeese outshot HBU 5-2 in 3-point field goals made.
 
McNeese will not be back in action until next Sunday when it visits Southeastern Louisiana.