NEW ORLEANS—Despite being shorthanded and undersized, McNeese women's basketball team improved to 3-7 overall and remained undefeated in league play at 3-0 with a 67-61 win over New Orleans here Saturday. The 3-0 conference start is the best start since the 2011-12 season when the Cowgirls won their first six conference games.
 
The Cowgirls were without Divine Tanks, its leading scorer and rebounder and Whitney Johnson who both missed the game due to COVID protocol along with Elizabeth Critton who is sidelined with an injury.
 
"I'm so proud of our ladies," said head coach Kacie Cryer. "What a tremendous team win. The toughness, team chemistry, and defense they are playing has been the difference. They are locked in to do whatever it takes on both ends. UNO is a well-coached, tough team and we knew we would have to play tough to match them and we did. It's a very hard place to win and our ladies executed the game plan and defended to get it done. As a staff, we can't be any prouder of them."
 
Junior Le'Shenae Stubblefield took advantage of her second start of the season to lead all players with a career high 20 points. Stubblefield reached her career high in the first half with 13 points. Three other Cowgirls also scored in double figures with Kyla Hamilton and Mychala Linzy chipping in with 14 apiece. The 14 points by Linzy is also her career high. Shaela Gardner ended the game with 13 pts.
 
"A huge part of today was Nae Nae (Le'Shenae Stubblefield). She was huge and just getting it done on both sides of the floor. She was getting steals, playing good defense and doing whatever it took to help the team today. I also though Maia Robinson was a big presence for us in the paint today."
 
Stubblefield was also credited with six steals, another career high for her to go along with four rebounds and two assists.
 
McNeese trailed 16-13 after the first quarter but outscored UNO 23-12 in the second quarter to take a 36-28 halftime lead.
 
With the Cowgirls trailing 24-23 with 4:25 left in the second quarter, Stubblefield sparked a 7-0 Cowgirl run with a steal and was fouled, sending her to the free throw line for two. Her two free throws gave McNeese its first lead (25-24). Two more free throws by Claralee Richard and another steal and layup by Stubblefield put McNeese up 29-24. After a UNO jumper by UNO, McNeese ended the quarter on a 7-2 run to lead 36-28 at the half.  
 
McNeese continued to hold its lead, but the Privateers began to cut into the lead late in the third quarter, getting as close at three points in the final minute of the third quarter.
 
McNeese stayed composed and never gave up the lead, increasing its lead to nine points twice in the fourth quarter. UNO cut the lead to 63-61 with :13 left following a three-pointer, but McNeese scored its final four points of the game from the free throw line to seal the win.
The Cowgirls ended the game making 27 of 33 free throws for an 81.8 percent. Stubblefield was nearly perfect from the charity stripe, connecting on 10 of 11. Linzy also had a good night at the line, making 9 of 10.
 
"It's been fun watching the chemistry come together and them truly doing it for each other. We enjoy this one and get ready for the next one as we know the Southland Conference is tough night in and night out," Cryer said.
  
 
FIRST QUARTER
Both teams went back and forth for the first few minutes and were tied at 10 apiece following the first media timeout of the game. Following that time out UNO outscored McNeese 6-3 the rest of the quarter. UNO 16, McNeese 13
 
SECOND QUARTER
McNeese outscored UNO 23-12 in the second quarter and used the free throw line to take its first lead of the game. The Cowgirls made 12 of 13 of their free throws. McNeese went on a 7-0 scoring run to take its first lead of the game (25-24) then ended the quarter on a 7-2 run. McNeese 36, UNO 28  
 
THIRD QUARTER
UNO outscored McNeese 17-15 in the quarter and got as close as three points (45-42) with 1:01 left in the quarter. Both teams traded three-pointers in the final minute of the quarter with treys coming from Kyla Hamilton and Shaela Gardner who drained a three as time expired in the quarter. McNeese 51, UNO 45  
 
FOURTH QUARTER
McNeese struggled from the field and both teams got into foul trouble in the quarter. McNeese held as much as a nine-point lead twice in the quarter and hit some key free throws at the end of the game to seal the victory.  
 
 
GAME NOTES
•- The 3-0 conference start is the best since the 2011-12 season when the Cowgirls won their first six conference games.
•- The win snaps an eight-game losing streak against UNO. The last McNeese win over UNO came on Feb. 2, 2016 when the Cowgirls defeated the Privateers 92-63 in Lake Charles. The last McNeese win in New Orleans was a 77-74 win on Jan. 30, 2016.
•- McNeese was without three players including their leading scorer and rebounder Divine Tanks as well as Whitney Johnson due to COVID protocol. Elizabeth Critton is also out due to an injury.
•- Le'Shenae Stubblefield scored a career high 20 points and picked up a career high six steals. She reached her career high in the first half with 13 points. Ten of her points came from the free throw line where she ended the game making 10 of 11.