LAFAYETTE- McNeese women's basketball ran into a hot shooting Louisiana-Lafayette team Wednesday in an 80-48 loss at the Cajundome.
 
"Our start in all four of our games have hurt us to get in a rhythm offensively and then it leads to mistakes on the defensive end," said head coach Kacie Cryer.
 
Sophomore Kyla Hamilton led the Cowgirls in scoring with 10 points, tying her season high and one-point shy of her career high. Nine of Hamilton's points came in the second half. Junior Elizabeth Critton led McNeese with seven rebounds on the day.
 
The Cajuns (1-1) opened the game making six of their first eight shots and were nearly perfect from the field, ending the quarter making 9 of 11 from the field including 4 of 4 from three-point range and 6 of 6 from the free throw line to hold a 28-5 lead. The Cajuns ended the game shooting 48 percent from the field including56 percent from behind the arc and 75 percent from the free throw line.
 
The Cowgirls (0-4) shooting woes continued today as they couldn't buy a basket in the first half.
McNeese was 3 for 20 from the field in the first half including 0 for 7 from three-point range and trailed 40-15 at the half.
 
McNeese's offense in the second half improved from the first half as the Cowgirls connected on 11 of 30 attempts from the field and were 8 of 11 from the free throw line.
 
"Once we settled in late in the second quarter and carried that over to the second half, you saw a different team on both ends of the floor. When you get yourself down so early in the game, it's difficult to climb yourself back in it."
 
Hamilton gave the Cowgirls a spark in the third quarter by scoring seven straight points including the Cowgirls first three-pointer of the game.
 
Mychala Linzy and Shaela Gardner also recorded season highs with eight and nine points, respectively. Lizzy Ratcliff and Delilah Van Campen recorded season high rebounds with three and five, respectively.
 
The Cajuns had three players score in double figures with Makayia Hallmon coming off the bench to lead all players with 16 points. Brandi Williams and Destinee McAfee chipped in with 10 each.
 
"ULL is a tough team with a lot of experience and credit them because they hit big shots and made big plays. We will continue to grind, believe and work. That's what we do."
 
McNeese will be on the road again this Saturday for another 11 a.m. game at Memphis.
 
"We have to continue to go to work and get better. We have the tools; we have a great group of ladies who believe and want it more than anything. We have to continue to work on the small details, focus on the positives and at the end of the day put the ball in the hole.