NEW ORLEANS – A slow start for McNeese coupled with hot first half shooting by New Orleans was too much for the Cowboys to overcome on Saturday afternoon, despite a couple of valiant second half efforts, as the Cowboys dropped an 88-75 Southland Conference game to the first place Privateers.
 
Making matters worse, McNeese was without league three-point leader Zach Scott due to an injury he suffered against Nicholls on Thursday. Without their sharp-shooter, the Cowboys made just 2 of 17 from behind the arc.
 
The loss was the second straight suffered by the Cowboys as they fall to 10-18 overall and 4-7 in league play. UNO helped its chances for a double-bye at the conference tournament in two weeks as it keeps its hold onto first place in the standings by improving to 9-1 in the conference and 16-9 overall.
 
Christian Shumate led five Cowboys in double-figure scoring with 20 points to go along with a game-high nine rebounds. Collin Warren added 12 points, Trae English 11, and Myles Lewis and Kellon Taylor with 10 each.
 
Derek St. Hilaire scored 27 to pace UNO. Tye Tye Jackson added 14.
 
The Cowboys shot 38 percent from the field (26 for 68) and hit 21 of 28 from the free throw line. UNO sank 53 percent from the field (30 for 57) and 23 of 37 from the line.
 
McNeese made things interesting around the 6-minute park when it cut the deficit to 71-62, but the Privateers went on an 8-0 run to get back up to a 79-62 lead. The Cowboys pulled to within 10 a couple times later but UNO made plays when it needed to keep McNeese at bay.
 
McNeese trailed 44-27 at the half after starting out hitting just 1 of 8 from the field.
 
The Privateers built a 40-18 lead with 2:22 to play in the half before the Cowboys ended the final two minutes on a 9-4 run.
 
Earlier when leading 10-6, the Privateers scored seven straight points to take its first double-digit lead at 17-6 with 11:30 on the clock. McNeese came back with five consecutive points behind a Shumate driving layup and a Warren layup plus-1 to cut the margin to 17-11.
 
UNO went on a 10-0 run over the next two minutes to build a 27-11 lead. The UNO margin teetered between 16-22 points until McNeese went on its spurt to end the half.
 
McNeese will return home on Thursday when it hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 7:30, following a women's matchup between the two schools.