GRAMBLING-- McNeese women's basketball opened the 2018-19 season with a 75-51 road loss at Grambling Friday night. The Cowgirls will host UL-Lafayette at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11 at Burton Coliseum in their home opener.
"Tonight, we played all eight freshmen and in the first half their youth showed," said head coach
Kacie Cryer. "Once they settled into the game and got comfortable with the pace of the game, we did some good things in the second half."
McNeese (0-1), got off to a rough start and never recovered as the Cowgirls trailed Grambling (1-1) 17-7 after the first quarter and 38-18 at the half. McNeese outscored the Tigers 21-16 in the third quarter, but Grambling responded by outscoring McNeese 21-12 in the final quarter, connecting on 10 of 16 shot in the quarter.
Early season jitters and eight freshmen seeing their first collegiate action accounted for 30 turnovers and a 29.5 field goal shooting percent, including a 35.7 three-point field goal percent. The Cowgirls did outrebound Grambling 47-38. Grambling connected on 32 of their 60 attempts for a 53.3 field goal shooting percent.
Another area the Cowgirls struggled was at the free throw line where they made only 10 of 26.
"Grambling is a solid team and give them credit, but we really hurt ourselves with 30 turnovers and 16 missed free throws. We will learn and grow from this and use this game to help us get better. We are looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow in getting better as a team and then back in action on Sunday," Cryer said.
Two freshman who didn't look like they were playing in their first collegiate game was Lake Charles native
Divine Tanks and redshirt freshman
Callie Maddox. Tanks recorded a double-double (13 pts., 19 rebs.) in her first collegiate start. Tanks was 6 of 17 from the field and 11 of her 19 rebounds came on the defensive glass.
Maddox came off the bench to score 17 points on 6 o 10 from the field including a perfect 3 for 3 from three-point range.
Grambling had three players scoring in double figures with Shakyla Hill leading all players with 19 points. Maddison Connally-Banks scored 12, and Candice Parramore chipped in 10.
