Box Score KATY, Texas – For the past six months the McNeese Cowboys had no choice but to live the "never say die" attitude after what two major hurricanes left them with no practice or workout facilities.
 
That attitude went into full blown mode on Tuesday evening against Southeastern Louisiana in the first round of the 2021 Southland Conference Men's Basketball Tournament.
 
Trailing by 15 points, 63-48, with 7:43 to play in the second half, the Cowboys mounted an incredible rally that saw them pull to within one point at 65-64 following a Carlos Rosario layup with 1:02 to play.
 
It looked like the Cowboys may have tied the game at 67-67 with 13.7 seconds to play on a Chris Orlina basket, but after a brief look at the replay, Orlina's toe was just touching the three-point line and McNeese trailed 67-66.
 
SLU's Keon Clergeot hit two free throws with just under 12 seconds remaining to make it a 69-66 game, then Rosario hit another layup with 2.7 seconds to play to pull to within 69-68. Gus Okafor, who led all scorers with 26 points, made it 71-68 on a fast break dunk when the Lions threw the ball halfway down the court where Okafor made the catch and dunk with 0.8 remaining.
 
McNeese's three-point heave by A.J. Lawson that was released a couple feet beyond the half court line fell just off the mark.
 
"I'm very proud of the way our guys played tonight," said McNeese head coach Heath Schroyer. "These guys have been through so much over the last six months and they never quit through all of that. We could've lost by 25 tonight but they pulled together and kept battling."
 
Rosario led McNeese with 18 points on 6 of 9 shooting while Lawson added 12.
 
The game was tied 31-31 at the half and McNeese led 35-33 following a couple of Rosario free throws at the 18:31 mark of the second half.
 
SLU followed with an 11-0 run to build a 44-35 lead with 14:43 to play then after a KeyShawn Feazell basket halted the run and pulled McNeese to within seven points, SLU's JonDarius Warren sank a 3 to give his team a 10-point lead, the largest of the night.
 
The Cowboys followed with an 8-0 run that started and ended on a couple of Harwin Francois three-pointers and McNeese cut the lead to 47-45 with 11:36 to go. SLU responded with a 16-3 run over the next four minutes to build a 63-48 advantage.
 
McNeese began to get the stops it needed on the defensive end and rallied for a 12-0 that cut the deficit to three points at 63-60 with 2:53 remaining but the Cowboys were not able to tie or retake the lead in the final two minutes.
 
McNeese started the second half making just 1 of 5 from the field. It then started to get the shots to fall and connected on 12 of its next 19 shots that help it give itself a chance to win the game.