LAFAYETTE – Sincere Parker scored 20 of his game-high 22 points in the second half and McNeese outscored Louisiana-Lafayette 10-1 in the final 4:47 as the Cowboys defeated the Ragin Cajuns 64-56 in the Cajundome on Sunday afternoon.
 
The win was the first for McNeese (6-5) in Lafayette since the 2007-08 season and was the second straight victory marking the first time since 2009-10 and '10-'11 to win games over ULL in consecutive fashion.
 
The Cajuns fell to 3-10 overall and 0-1 under interim head coach Derrick Zimmerman after former head coach Bob Marlin was relieved of his duties on Thursday. McNeese head coach Will Wade improved to 3-0 all-time against ULL.
 
Quadir Copeland added 12 points for the Cowboys while Christian Shumate added 11. Joe Charles, in making his return to the Cajundome after spending the last three seasons at ULL, scored six points with a season-high nine rebounds and knocked down the last two free throws of the game to secure the win.
 
McNeese led 28-27 at the half and held a 38-33 advantage with 15:19 to play in the second following a three-pointer by Parker, the first of 13-straight points by the junior and the only 3 made for the Cowboys for the game.
 
ULL answered with a 11-2 run over the next 3:18 to grab a 44-10 lead. Parker scored the next six points to put McNeese on top 46-44 on a step-back jumper with 10:31 remaining.
 
In a game that saw 18 lead changes and four ties, seven of the lead changes and two ties occurred over the next seven minutes until the Cowboys took the lead for good on a Parker jumper with 2:26 to play to make it 57-55. McNeese made all five free throws with less than two minutes remaining to keep the Cajuns away.
 
ULL took its final lead on a dunk by Mostapha El Moutaouakkil with 4:48 to play, giving the Cajuns a 55-54 lead. From then on, McNeese's defense stepped up to hold ULL to 0-4 shooting, 1-2 at the free throw line, and forced a turnover.
 
McNeese held a 28-27 halftime lead and scored the game's first six points followed by an 8-0 run by ULL. The Cajuns built its largest lead a 14-9 with 11:39 on the clock but McNeese followed with a 15-5 run over the next seven minutes to go up 24-19 with 4:34 to play.
 
During that run, Copeland scored eight of his 12 points of the half, including a streak of six straight. His layup with 2:49 remaining gave the Cowboys their largest lead of the half at 28-21 but the Cajuns rallied to score the final six points of the half to close the gap to 1.
 
McNeese made 25 of 60 from the field for 42 percent and hit just 1 of 16 from three-point range. The Cowboys had a good night at the free throw line, connecting on 13 of 17 for 77 percent.
 
ULL shot 22 of 54 for 41 percent, 8 of 24 for 33 percent from behind the arc, and 4 of 6 at the line for 67 percent.
 
Neither team reached the bonus as only eight fouls were called on the Cowboys and 13 for the Cajuns.
 
McNeese held a 39-32 advantage in rebounds and forced the Cajuns into 13 turnovers.
 
Next up, McNeese will begin Southland Conference play on Saturday when it hosts New Orleans at 4 p.m. in the Legacy Center.