LAKE CHARLES—McNeese women's basketball felt the lingering effects of COVID 19 amongst the program that has plagued the team in the past month, playing shorthanded here Monday night in a 66-47 Southland Conference loss to Incarnate Word.
 
McNeese (4-9, 4-2 SLC), who hasn't played since Jan. 27, entered the game with only eight players and ended the game having only four on the court in the final minute due to four players fouling out. The Cowgirls played without starters Shaela Gardner and Claralee Richard along with Whitney Johnson who all missed the game due to COVID 19 protocol. Also missing the game was Elizabeth Critton who is still nursing an injury.
 
"I thought we came out on fire to start the game," said head coach Kacie Cryer. "We were hitting on all cylinders and we hit some big shots to open up a big lead in the first quarter. In the second quarter they really guarded us, getting in the passing lane and ripping some balls away from us and we started doing some things that we have not done. I credit UIW for their toughness."
 
Junior Divine Tanks led the Cowgirls with a double double (17 pts., 10 reb.) and was the only player to reach double digit scoring.
 
Incarnate Word (3-4, 1-1 SLC) had two players score in double figures with Jaaucklyn Moore scoring 17 and Starr Omozee pitched in with 11 points.'
 
McNeese led the Cardinals 19-9 after the first period but went cold from the field in the next two quarters, getting outscored 21-5 in the second quarter to trail 30-24 at the half. The cold shooting continued in the third quarter as UIW extended its lead to 45-32 before outscoring the Cowgirls 21-15 in the final quarter to seal the win.
 
The Cowgirls got as close as six points (47-41) with 5:47 left to play but UIW outscored McNeese 19-6 the rest of the way.  
 
"we slowly tried to grinded it out and cut the lead to six but we just didn't get the stop that we needed late in the game to come out with a victory today."
 
McNeese will return to action this Saturday when they will travel to Natchitoches for a 4 p.m. game against Northwestern State.