LAKE CHARLES—McNeese women's basketball placed four players in double figures here Thursday night in its 81-45 win over North American University, snapping its six-game losing streak and improving to 2-6 on the season.
 
Alicja Falkowska came off the bench to score a career high 12 points to lead the Cowgirls while Divine Tanks and Zuzanna Kulinska chipped in with 11 apiece.  Paris Mullins added 10 points. 
 
The Cowgirls double up NAU in rebounds 63-37 with Tanks and Kulinska lead the Cowgirls with eight apiece.
 
"We challenged our team to pick it up defensively to start the game after Tuesday night and I thought we did that tonight," said head coach Lynn Kennedy.  "I thought our offensive flow was really good in the first quarter.  Our start was better tonight and that's what we challenged our team with the last few days.
 
McNeese opened the game by scoring the first nine points then when on a 23-1 run the rest of the quarter to lead 32-1. The Cowgirls' defense didn't allow NAU to make a field goal with their only point of the quarter coming from a D'Marchay Scott free throw at the 6:23 mark.
 
"That was probably one of our better first quarters of the season that allowed us to play some people the rest of the game.  I wanted to see our intensity pick up more in the second and third quarter."
 
NAU (1-4) outscored the Cowgirls 34-31 combined in the next two quarters with McNeese playing its non-starters in those two quarters.  NAU scored its first field goal of the game early in the second quarter and McNeese led 45-16 at the half and 62-35 after the third quarter.
 
McNeese outscored NAU 18-11 in the final quarter and held its largest lead of 35 points with 2:52 minutes and the final score of 81-46.
 
The Cowgirls will take a 13-day break and will return to the Legacy Center to host UL-Monroe on Dec. 14 to conclude its three-game home stand.
 
McNEESE NOTES
• Snapped its six-game losing streak
• The Cowgirls' 32 first quarter points is the second most points scored in the first quarter this season.  McNeese scored 39 in the first quarter in its season opening win against Ecclesia.
• Held NAU without a field goal made in the first quarter
• Held NAU to 1 point in the first quarter, the fewest points allowed in a quarter by a McNeese team.
• McNeese outrebounded NAU 63-37
• Four players scored in double figures
• Alicja Falkowska came off the bench to lead the Cowgirls with a career high 12 points