NATCHITOCHES—Paris Guillory scored a career high 26 points and grabbed a career high eight rebounds Thursday night but it was a strong shooting second half by Northwestern State that led the Lady Demons to a 70-55 Southland Conference win over McNeese.
 
The loss drops McNeese to 5-8 overall and 0-2 in the SLC.  NW State improves to 5-7 overall and 2-1 in the SLC.
 
With her 26 points, Guillory, who has played in only four games this season, has scored in double figures in all four games and was the only Cowgirl to score in double figures tonight. 
 
The Lady Demons began the game by scoring the first five points and held a slim 16-14 lead after the first quarter.
 
NW State extended its lead to 19-14 early in the second quarter before a 12-1 McNeese run gave the Cowgirls a 26-20 halftime lead.  The Cowgirls outscored NW State 12-4 in the quarter and held the Lady Demons scoreless for the final 5:25 in the half.  NW State ended the quarter shooting 64.3 percent on 9 of 14 from the field including five three-pointers.
 
The second half was totally different as the Lady Demons outscored the Cowgirls 50-29 in the second half.  NW State regained its shooting touch in the second half to shoot 58.6 percent from the field, connecting on 17 of 29 attempts.  NW State shot 22.6 percent in the first half.
 
The Cowgirls shot 27. 8 percent in the first half, 33.3 percent in the second half, and 30.2 percent for the game.
 
Sharna Ayres led a trio of Lady Demons in scoring with 23 points.  Mya Blake scored 16, and Vernell Atamah chipped in with 11 points.
 
McNeese will travel to East Texas A&M Saturday for a 12 p.m. game.
 
 
COWGIRLS UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Sat., Jan. 4 at East Texas A&M (12 p.m./ESPN+)
Thu., Jan. 9 at Houston Christian (6 p.m./ESPN+)
Sat., Jan. 11 Nicholls (1 p.m./ESPN+)
Thu., Jan. 16 Stephen F. Austin (6 p.m./ESPN+)
Sat., Jan. 18 Lamar (1 p.m./ESPN+)
Thu., Jan. 23 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (7 p.m./ESPN+)
Sat., Jan. 25 at UTRGV (2 p.m./ESPN+)
Thu., Jan. 30 Incarnate Word (6 p.m./ESPN+)