SAN ANTONIO, Texas—Following Kaili Chamberlin's layup that broke a 7-7 tie early in the game, McNeese women's basketball never looked back on its way to picking up its first Southland Conference win this season over Incarnate Word (4-10, 0-3 SLC) here Saturday by a 67-57 score.
 
"It feels good to get that first conference win," said first year head coach Lynn Kennedy. "For the most part, I thought we played composed and our defensive intensity, especially to start the third won us the game."
 
Chamberlin and Divine Tanks both recorded double doubles. Chamberlin scored 15 points and pulled down 10 rebounds while Tanks scored 13 points with 11 rebounds. Cristina Gil led the Cowgirls with 16 points while Desirae Hansen chipping in with 11 points.
 
McNeese dominated on the boards, outrebounding UIW 42-30 with 25 of the Cowgirls rebounds coming on the defensive end.
 
McNeese (6-10, 1-2 SLC) connected on 10 three-pointers in the game including three in the first quarter that put the Cowgirls up 21-17 after the first period. The Cowgirls held a 12-4 rebound edge in the opening quarter.
 
"It's nice when they fall, we can extend the lead when we make them. They made a couple of runs but when we hit those three's it silenced the run plus it gave us the momentum back and we had some big time three-pointers today where we didn't get those against Corpus the other night."
 
The Cowgirls built as much as an 11 point lead in the second quarter and went into the half with a 36-28 lead.
 
McNeese dominated the first four minutes of the third quarter by outscoring UIW 11-0 in the first four minutes of the quarter to take its largest lead of the game at 47-38. McNeese headed into the final quarter with a 53-42.
 
"Our huge run to start the third carried us and that was the difference in the game."
 
UIW cut the lead to single digits four times in the final quarter with the last being with 45 seconds left in the game. McNeese scored three straight points from the free throw line before to extend the lead back to double digits (67-55) before UIW scored a layup but it was too little too late as the Cowgirls went on to pick up its first SLC win of the season.
 
McNeese will return home Thursday to host Nicholls in the first of four straight games at the Legacy Center
 
 
GAME NOTES

• Cowgirls pick up first SLC win of the season
• For the first time this season two Cowgirls record double doubles (Kaili Chamberlin 15 pts., 10 reb. and Divine Tanks 13 pts., 11 reb.)
• Four Cowgirls scored in double figures (Cristina Gil- 16, Chamberlin- 15, Tanks- 13, Desirae Hansen- 11)
• Cowgirls outrebounded UIW 42-30
• Cowgirls made 10 three-pointers (10-25)
• Held as much as a 19 point lead in the 3^rd quarter