LAKE CHARLES – Mya Blake led Northwestern State with 10 points and eight assists and the Lady Demons built a double-digit lead late in the first quarter and never looked back to defeat McNeese 80-56 in Southland Conference women's basketball action on Saturday.
 
The loss was the fourth-straight suffered by the Cowgirls and eighth loss out of the last nine games as they fall to 8-16 overall and 3-10 in conference play. NSU won for the fourth-consecutive time and third straight on the road and improves to 12-10, 9-4 in the league.
 
A total of 12 Lady Demons scored in the game. Vernell Atamah, Nia Hardison, Clarence Djuela and Zhane Thompson each scored nine.
 
Kiayra Ellis was the lone Cowgirl to score double-figures as she led the way with 14 points.
 
NSU led 20-9 after the first quarter and built a 37-17 lead at the half. The Lady Demons held their largest lead at 74-45 with 2:55 to play in the game following a Djuela layup.
 
The Cowgirls showed some fight late in the third and early in the fourth, cutting the deficit from 24 down to 16 points with 9:46 to play, but NSU responded with five straight points and a 19-6 run over the next seven minutes to grow the margin back into the 20s.
 
McNeese shot 33 percent from the field (20-60) compared to NSU's 44 percent aim (30-69). The Lady Demons outscored McNeese 33-12 from 3-point range, hitting 10 of 26 while the Cowgirls made 4 of 16. NSU held a 24-6 scoring advantage in points off turnovers and dominated the boards 47-35, including holding the Cowgirls to only six offensive rebounds.
 
The Cowgirls will next be in action on Thursday when they visit first place Southeastern then at New Orleans next Saturday.