LAKE CHARLES—McNeese women's basketball picked up its first Division I and Southland Conference win of the season, snapping a 16-game losing streak Thursday night with a 72-64 victory over Houston Christian.
 
McNeese (5-24, 1-15 SLC) placed four players in double figures with Mireia Yespes leading all players with 23 points, her second straight game scoring 23 points.  Yespes scored 15 of her 23 points in the first half.  Emilia Tenbrock chipped in with 16 wile Azjah Reeves added 14 with 11 coming in the first half.  Julia Puente ended the game with 12.  Clara Rosini pulled down a career high 13 rebounds with 12 coming on the defensive end.
 
The Cowgirls led 38-24 at the half and held HCU (6-21, 1-15 SLC) to eight points in the second quarter, outscoring the Huskies 21-8 in the quarter.  HCU outscored McNeese 40-34 in the second half.
 
McNeese ended the game shooting 41.7 percent from the field including 41.2 percent from behind the arc and 83.3 percent from the free throw line.
 
HCU shot 36.5 percent from the field and 87.5 percent from the free throw line.  Both teams score 30 of its points in the paint.
 
The Cowgirls will close out their home schedule against Nicholls at 1 p.m.    
 
 
1^st Quarter
• Azjah Reeves made drove the length of the court for a layup as time expired to give McNeese a 17-16 first quarter lead.  Reeves scored 11 of the Cowgirls' 17 points in the quarter.  Reeves' three-pointer with 1:13 left in the quarter gave McNeese the lead.
• The quarter consisted of nine lead changes
 
2nd Quarter
• McNeese opened the quarter on a 14-6 run, making four of five attempts to extend its lead to 31-20 midway through the quarter
• McNeese held a 38-24 halftime lead, its largest of the half
• Yespes scored 13 second quarter points
• McNeese shot 45.5 percent from the field (15-33) and three-point range (5-11) and 75.0 percent (3-4) from the free throw line
• The Cowgirls had only five first half turnovers and outrebounded HCU 20-16
 
3rd Quarter
• HCU outscored McNeese 17-14 in the quarter and held its largest lead of the game (15 pts.)
• Held a 52-41 lead heading into the fourth quarter
• HCU cut the lead to 10 points (44-34) but five straight points by the Cowgirls extended the lead back to 15.
 
4th Quarter
• HCU cut the lead to single digits several times in the quarter
• The Cowgirls extended the lead back to 10 points (64-54) following two free throws from Yespes and two from Tenbrock following a HCU technical foul
• HCU cut the lead to four points (64-60) with 1:54 to play and then against with 1:20 to play
• Leading 66-62, McNeese ended the game on a 6-2 run with four of its six points coming from the free throw line.  The other two points came off a layup by Boston Berry with 28 seconds to play
 
McNEESE NOTES
• Picked up its first D1 and Southland Conference win of the season
• Snapped a 16-game losing streak
• The win was the first since its 93-46 win over Centenary on Dec. 14, 2023
• Four Cowgirls scored in double figures
• Mireia Yespes led all players with 23 points, her second straight game scoring 23 points
• Emilia Tenbrock scored 16, Azjah Reeves 914), and Julia Puente (12)
• Clara Rosini pulled down a career high 13 rebounds with 12 coming on the defensive end