CORPUS CHRISTI – McNeese responded from Saturday's loss with a bang on Monday afternoon against A&M-Corpus Christi with a 69-53 Southland Conference win, the largest margin of victory for the Cowboys on the Islanders' home court.
 
The win improved McNeese's record to 15-4 overall and 8-2 in league play while Corpus falls to 10-9 and 6-4. It was only the second home loss for AMCC this season.
 
Three Cowboys scored in double-figures led by Larry Johnson with 17 points while adding nine rebounds. Carl Cherenfant and Tyshawn Archie each scored 13. Cherenfant added seven rebounds while Archie dished out two assists.
 
McNeese out-rebounded AMCC by a 39-19 margin, the fewest rebounds grabbed by a Division I team against the Cowboys this season. The Islanders, who entered the contest averaging 12.5 offensive boards per game, were held to a season-low five offensive pulls off the glass and four second-chance points. McNeese pulled in 14 offensive rebounds which resulted in 19 second chance point.
 
McNeese started the game scoring the first points and went to a pressing defense right away. The Cowboys led 40-32 at the half after Archie knocked down a three-pointer right before the buzzer.
 
Johnson gave the Cowboys their first double-digit lead early in the second half with one of his many penetrating layups to make it 42-32. AMCC cut the lead to 42-36 the following two possessions but back-to-back 3s by Archie and Cherenfant grew the lead to 12 points, the largest of the game, at 48-36 at the 16:33 mark.
 
Meanwhile McNeese's defense was getting the work done on the opposite end of the court, holding the Islanders to one attempt and several multiple minute scoring droughts.
 
But AMCC was able to claw back to within five points at 54-49 with 8:49 to play before McNeese scored 10 straight points to build a 64-49 lead with 5:17 to play.
 
Garwey Dual put the topper on with a dunk with a minute on the clock to give the Cowboys their 16-point win.
 
Postgame Notes:
• McNeese won its fifth straight game over Corpus Christi including its third straight victory on the Islanders' home court.
• The Cowboys made 49% of their shots (24-49), 3 for 13 from 3-point range (23.1%), and 18 of 26 at the free throw line (69.2%) including making 9 of 11 in the second half.
• AMCC shot 41.5% (17-41), 21.4% from 3FG range (3-14), and 66.7% at the line (16-24).
• The 21 second half points scored by the Islanders were the fewest allowed by the Cowboys in the second half this season.
• The 16-point win marked the 12^th time this season the Cowboys have recorded wins of 10 points or more.
• Larry Johnson's 17 points gives him 314 on the season which moves him up to No. 11 on the school's all-time freshman scoring list.
• McNeese is 11-0 this season when leading at the half and 60-1 over the last three years.