LAKE CHARLES—Paris Mullins and Desirae Hansen combined for 41 points here Thursday night to lead McNeese Women's Basketball to a 71-65 Southland Conference home opening win over Northwestern State to improve to 4-9 overall and 1-1 in the SLC.  The loss drops NW State to 4-8 overall and 0-2 in the league.
 
Mullins ended game with a career high 21 points while Hansen scored a season high 20 points.  Zuzanna Kulinska pitched in with 15, one shy of her season high 16.   It's also the first game this season two Cowgirls score at least 20 points.
 
McNeese had to overcome the strong three-point shooting from the Lady Demons in the first quarter.  NW State connected on 6 of 7 in the first quarter with five coming from guard Sharna Ayres, who was 5 of 5 from three-point range.
 
After trailing 27-16 at the end of the first quarter, McNeese used the three-point line in its favor in the second quarter along with solid defense to outscore NW State 22-9 to take a 38-36 lead into the half.
 
The lead changed several times in the third quarter with neither team leading by more than four points. With the Cowgirls leading 50-49 with just over two minutes left in the third quarter, NW State outscored the Cowgirls 5-3 the rest of the way to hold a slim 54-53 lead.
 
McNeese opened the final period by scoring the first four points to lead 57-54 and held a six point lead following a Kulinska free throw at the six minute mark.  NW State got as close as one point (64-63) with 5:26 to play before McNeese outscored the Lady Demons 7-2 the rest of the way.
 
 
FIRST QUARTER
NW State used the three-point line to take an early lead.  The Lady Demons made their first three from behind the arc to take an early 9-5 lead.  McNeese went on a 5-2 run to pull to within one (11-10).  NW State went on a 9-0 run to lead 20-10 midway through the quarter.   
 
SECOND QUARTER
McNeese went on a 7-0 run to pulled to within three points (29-26) following a Desirae Hansen three-pointer and layups from Paris Mullins and Divine Tanks.  A layup by Divine Tanks pulled the Cowgirls to within two points (31-29) with 4:19 left in the quarter.  Another layup by Tanks tied the game at 31 before a three-pointer by Zuzanna Kulinska gave the Cowgirls their first lead since the first minute of the game (34-31).  McNeese held a 38-36 halftime lead. 
 
THIRD QUARTER
NW State retook the lead 40-39 and led by as many as four points a few times in the quarter.  McNeese got within one point twice at 46-45 and again 48-47 on three-pointers both times by Hansen.  Another Hansen three-pointer gave the Cowgirls a 50-49 lead but four straight points by NW State put them up 54-50.  
 
FOURTH QUARTER
McNeese opened the quarter by scoring the first three points to take a 57-54 lead.  McNeese held a six point lead a few times in the quarter and after NW State cut the lead to one point, the Cowgirls ended the game on a 7-2 run.
 
NOTES
• McNeese had three players score in double figures
• Paris Mullins and Desirae Hansen combined for 41 of the Cowgirls 71 points
• Mullins led all scorers with a game and season high 21 points
• Hansen scored 20 points, also a season high for her
• Zuzanna Kulinska chipped in with 17 points, one shy of her season high
• NW State scored their first nine points of the game off three 3-pointers and were 6 of 7 from behind the arc in the first quarter
• McNeese outscored NW State 22-9 in the second quarter to lead 38-36 at the half.
• Cowgirls shot 60 percent from behind the arc and the field in the second quarter, making 3 of 5 three-pointers and were 9 of 15 from the field.