LAKE CHARLES – East Texas A&M scored the final 14 points of the first half and added to the run with the first two to start the third quarter then held off a late quarter run by the McNeese Cowgirls to get a 67-51 Southland Conference win on Thursday night.
 
The loss was the third straight suffered by the Cowgirls as they fall to 8-15 overall and 3-9 in conference play. East Texas A&M won for just the second time in league play on the season to improve to 2-10 and 5-16 overall.
 
Tied at 21-21 with 5:22 to play in the second quarter after McNeese's Ellis sank a jumper to extend a Cowgirls' run to 8-0, the Lions responded with a 14-0 run the rest of the half, sparked by a three-point basket by Hannah Humphrey. After a layup off a turnover by Trinity Moreland grew the ETAM lead to 26-21, Cora Horvath knocked down a trey with 2:44 to play to make it a 29-21 lead.
 
Humphrey scored her team's final six points of the half, the last shot a three-pointer with seven seconds to play to give ETAM a 35-21 lead at the break.
 
McNeese trailed 44-26 with 6:22 to play in the third quarter but put together a 12-0 run over the next 4:49 to cut the lead to 46-40 at the 1:33 mark. Newsome hit a 3 for the Lions with 19 seconds to play to end the quarter on a 6-2 run and a 52-42 ETAM lead. McNeese never got any closer than 10 points in the fourth quarter as the Lions outscored the Cowgirls 15-9 in the final frame.
 
Jordyn Newsome led the Lions in scoring with 16 points, scoring 11 of those in the second half before fouling out with 1:03 remaining. Cora and Nina Horvath each scored 13 points for the visitors.
 
McNeese (8-15, 3-9 SLC) was led in scoring by Paris Guillory's 13 points while Tyrielle Willams added 11. Wilnie Joseph pulled down 11 rebounds to lead the team.
 
The Cowgirls got a scare with just 1:10 remaining in the game when Guillory went down with what appeared to be an ankle injury and had to be carried off the floor.
 
McNeese made just 34 percent from the floor (19-56) and 25 percent from three-point range (4-16). ETAM was just a tad better from the field, hitting 23 of 60 for 38 percent, but outscored the Cowgirls 33-12 from behind the arc after sinking 10 of 24 for 42 percent.
 
The Lions outscored the Cowgirls 19-9 in points off turnovers.
 
McNeese will be back in action on Saturday at 1 p.m. when it hosts Northwestern State.