LAKE CHARLES – McNeese's Christian Shumate scored 26 points and pulled down 11 rebounds but HCU was able to hold off a short-handed Cowboys team with an 85-80 Southland Conference win on Thursday night.
 
Playing without their starting point guard, who was sidelined with an injury suffered in practice on Tuesday, the Cowboys had just seven players available in a game that had critical implications for the postseason tournament.
 
With the loss, McNeese falls to 8-21 overall and 5-11 in league play. HCU improved to 10-19 and 7-9 and completed the season sweep over the Cowboys. McNeese did get a little help with Lamar and UIW losing and both falling to 5-11 and in a three-way tie with the Cowboys for the eighth and final tournament spot.
 
McNeese will visit Southeastern on Saturday while UIW will host A&M-Commerce and Lamar hosting New Orleans. Commerce defeated first place A&M-Corpus Christi on the road on Thursday night while New Orleans won at home against Nicholls.
 
McNeese trailed 41-35 at the half and was down 45-35 through the first minute of the second half when the Cowboys went on an 18-4 run over the next 4:28 to take a 53-49 lead with 14:16 to play. During that run, McNeese connected on 8 of its 9 shots from the field with Shumate scoring eight of the 18 points.
 
The Cowboys held the lead until HCU tied the game at 60-60 off a couple of Pierce Bazil free throws with 10:38 remaining.
 
A basket by Roberts Berze followed to put McNeese back on top, then after the Huskies grabbed a 64-62 lead, Berze, who scored 10 points, connected on a three-pointer to give the Cowboys a 65-64 advantage with 8:41 to play.
 
HCU rolled off a 14-4 run and led 78-69 following a Brycen Long three-pointer with 3:39 to play but Zach Scott answered with a 3 and Shumate got a follow up dunk to cut the deficit to 78-74 with 2:01 remaining.
 
The Huskies went back up by eight points at 82-74 with 1:27 to go after a Zach Iyeyemi layup but Scott answered again with another three-pointer to cut the margin to 82-77. Scott ended the night with 18 points.
 
HCU led 83-77 with 1:11 left when Berze sank another 3 for the Cowboys to make it an 83-80 game with 1:03 to play and after the Huskies turned the ball over on an offensive foul, Berze missed on a game-tying three with 25 seconds left. HCU hit two free throws with 15 seconds left and Scott missed on a final possession 3 as the clock ran out.