LAKE CHARLES - A 20-0 run late in the first half with McNeese leading 23-18 opened up a close game through the first 13 minutes as the Cowboys stepped up their defensive intensity behind sharp shooting late in the first half and the entire second half to guide them to a 98-54 win over Carver College in Burton Coliseum on Monday night.
McNeese (2-3) had five players score in double-figures, led by Brendan Medley-Bacon's 16 points in just under 19 minutes of action. Collin Warren scored 14 points with 12 of those coming in the second half. Christian Shumate scored 13 points while Harwin Francois added 12 and Kellon Taylor 11.
The Cowboys started slow through the first 13 minutes of the game and were unable to shake the stingy Carver team (0-9) that was playing its seventh straight NCAA Division I game.
"That was my fault," said Cowboys' head coach John Aiken. "Sometimes with these kind of games, it can get a little erratic. I thought our last home game against Champion Christian we wanted to create mayhem. Tonight, we talked about being more solid in doing things and it made us soft. I shouldn't have done that. I as our guys to basically be a different version of ourselves. Coach (Tevon) Saddler said 'just speed them up coach and start trapping'. And that's what we did and that's when we went on the run."
McNeese led 23-18 at the 6:29 mark of the first half when Aiken made the defensive change with Warren running the point and Shumate joining to add to the pressure.
The pressure forced the Cougars into four turnovers in which the Cowboys scored eight points off those miscues. A throw-down slam by Shumate capped the 20-0 run and gave McNeese a commanding 43-18 lead at the 1:41 mark.
The offense was rolling in the second half behind Warren's 12 points in the final 20 minutes behind 6 of 7 shooting. Warren was playing in his first game since getting a concussion against TCU two weeks ago.
"He just got back from that elbow at TCU," said Aiken of Warren. "He was cleared on Saturday and returned to practice on Sunday. His first two-and-a-half minutes, he didn't look very sharp, which was expected. But the next time I subbed him in, that's when we went on the run and it changed the complexion of the game. It's good to have him back."
The Cowboys connected on 24 of 38 shots in the half for 63 percent to lift their game total 38 for 65 for 59 percent, this after the Cowboys were hitting just 35 percent through the first 10 minutes of the game.
Warren put the Cowboys up by 30 at 60-30 off a fast-break bucket then a layup by Jonathan Lucas off an offensive rebound, made it an 81-41 game with 6:19 to play. Lucas attempted to give the Cowboys 100 points but his stretched-out dunk attempt was just out of range of his reach and the game ended 98-54.
McNeese dominated the paint, holding a 40-24 advantage in rebounds and 62-20 scoring win in the paint. Shumate led the team with eight boards while Taylor, Medley-Bacon and Francois each added six.
Johnathan Massie paced the team with six assists as the Cowboys dished out 21 times on 38 made shots.
Francois knocked down 4 of 8 from three-point range as the Cowboys finished 6 for 20 for 30 percent from long range.
Dyllon Scott led Carver with 16 points as the Cougars finished the game hitting 21 of 52 shots for 40 percent.
The Cowboys will next be in action on Friday when they take on St. Francis-Brooklyn in bracket play of the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida.
