Box Score NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Turnovers were the main factor in McNeese's 86-76 loss to Stephen F. Austin in a non-conference game on Friday night as the Cowboys turned it over a total of 26 times while the Lumberjacks scored 31 points off those miscues.
 
The loss dropped the Cowboys to 1-2 on the season while SFA improves to 2-0. The two teams are not scheduled to meet again in the regular season.
 
Chris Orlina came off the bench to lead McNeese with a career-high 20 points behind 6 of 6 shooting from the floor and 8 of 9 from the free throw line.
 
Dru Kuxhausen dropped in 16 points with five three-pointers made while KeyShawn Feazell added 14 points while Braelon Bush added 10.
 
But despite the turnovers, head coach Heath Schroyer says he's encouraged by what he saw.
 
"I think we had a really good game plan. We established ourselves and took the first punch. I though we did some really good things, we just turned the ball over too much. But I'm actually really encouraged. This is the first time many of these guys played against Stephen F. I've said all along, the league has run through this program for the last 10 years.
 
"I thought it was really important, for December 4, for us to get a good look at a team that's picked to win it. I thought we shot ourselves in the foot with a lot of unforced turnovers and to win a ball game, you just can't do that. There are a lot of positives that came out of if and a great experience for our guys to come play SFA in a non-league game in December."
 
McNeese led 39-38 at the half and built as much as a 10-point lead at 33-23 with 6:01 to play following a 13-4 run.
 
Bush gave McNeese its first lead after a three-pointer with 10:24 to play to make it 20-19.
 
SFA rallied back to take back the lead at 37-35 following three straight layups, one by Cameron Johnson (20 points) and two by Charlie Daniels (10 points). McNeese scored the final four points of the half to take the 1-point lead into the break.
 
Myles Hutchinson and Feazell sank the first two baskets of the second half to increase McNeese's lead to 43-38 before the Lumberjacks scored eight straight points off two Cowboy turnovers to go up 46-43.
 
Orlina snapped the run with the first two of his 14 second half points to close the gap to 1, but SFA took over in the lane, led by Gavin Kensmil's 23 points, and opened up a 9-point lead at 55-46 with 12:39 to play.
 
McNeese answered with four straight points – a Collin Warren free throw and Kuxhausen 3 – to close the gap to 55-50, but that would be as close as the Cowboys would get the rest of the way despite making a late run to cut the margin to 77-71 with 2:37 remaining.
 
A.J. Lawson led McNeese with seven rebounds while Orlina topped the team with six assists.
 
The Cowboys connected on 53 percent from the field (24-45) and 44 percent from three-point range (8-18) while SFA hit 31 of 55 for 56 percent and just 2 of 6 from long range for 33 percent.
 
SFA connected on 22 of 32 for 69 percent from the free throw line while McNeese hit 20 of 27 for 24 percent.
 
The Lumberjacks outscored McNeese 56-24 in the paint.
 
The Cowboys are scheduled to return to action next Friday when they host Campbellsville-Harrodsburg at 6:30 in Burton Coliseum.
 
Postgame Notes:
• McNeese posted a 13-4 run over a 4:23 span to take a 33-23 lead with 6:01 to play in the first half.
• SFA scored 31 points of 26 McNeese turnovers.
• Dru Kuxhausen scored 10 first half points behind three 3-pointers made and finished with 16 points and five 3s.
• Chris Orlina recorded career highs in points (20) and assists (6).
• Braelon Bush has scored double-figures in his first two collegiate games after hitting 10 on Friday.