LAKE CHARLES – Larry Johnson was one of four McNeese players to score in double-figures with a game-high 19 points to help lead the Cowboys to an 82-70 Southland Conference win over Lamar in front of a nationally televised audience and record-setting sellout crowd of 4,612 in Townsley Law Arena.
 
McNeese won its fourth-straight conference game to improve to 4-1 in the league and 11-3 overall in the season's first part of the Battle of the Border rivalry matchup in the second sellout of the season. Lamar dropped to 7-7 on the season and 2-3 in the conference while seeing its two-game winning streak snapped.
 
Javohn Garcia added 15 points, four rebounds and five steals. Tyshawn Archie contributed with 13 points while Garwey Dual scored 11 with a game-high four assists.
 
Andrew Holifield scored 21 behind six three-point buckets to pace Lamar.
 
McNeese led 39-34 at the half and could have been a double-digit lead had it not been for the 6-for-14 shooting from the free throw line.
 
The two teams traded blows through the first few possessions until Lamar scored nine straight points to turn a 10-8 deficit into a 17-10 lead following a couple of Holifield free throws. McNeese, who hit 14 of 28 from the field in the half including 5 for 11 from long range, regained the lead after a Garcia layup with 6:59 remaining to give McNeese a 23-22 advantage.
 
A 3 by Holifield put Lamar back on top at 27-26 with 4:31 to play but McNeese answered with four straight points scored by Johnson to give the Cowboys a 30-27 lead at the 3:56 mark.
 
The Cowboys later scored six straight points to go up 36-29, then a 3-pointer by Jacolb Fredson-Cole after a Lamar free throw, built the largest lead of the half for the Cowboys at 39-30 with 1:48 to play.
 
The Cardinals pulled two within four points at 43-39 in the first five minutes of the second half but the Cowboys turned up the defense to help spur a quick 6-0 run, the last four of those points scored off turnovers, and built their first double-digit lead of the game at 49-39 with 13:32 to play.
 
Lamar closed the gap to five points after another Holifield second-chance three, making it 53-48 with 11:07 remaining. McNeese answered with five straight points off a bucket from Archie and three straight free throws, which the Cowboys finished 24 for 26 for the second half and 30 of 40 for the game for 75 percent.
 
A step-back jump from Dual put McNeese up 75-60 with 3:36 to play, the largest lead of the game and the lead remained in double-figures the rest of the way.
 
McNeese finished the game hitting 48 percent from the field (23-48) and 33 percent from three-point range (6-18). Lamar shot 33 percent for the game (18-54) and 31 percent from behind the arc (9-29). Both teams shot well from the line, Lamar hitting 81 percent (25-31) and McNeese 75 percent (30-40).
 
McNeese held a 37-36 advantage in rebounding but Lamar pulled down 19 offensive boards that led to 30 second-chance points. McNeese wasn't bad on the offensive glass either, pulling down 14 off 25 misses.
 
The Cowboys entered the game ranked No. 3 in the NCAA in forcing turnovers and forced the Cardinals into 10 on the night.
 
Next up, McNeese will continue its four-game home stand on Monday night at 6:30 when it hosts Stephen F. Austin in a game that could be for first place in the league standings.
 
Notebook:
• McNeese won its 19^th-straight game at home, the 4^th-longest current streak in the NCAA.
• The Cowboys improved to 7-0 on the season when scoring 80 points or more and has now won 35 straight games when scoring 80 or more.
• 8-0 on the season when leading at the half and has won 57 of the last 58 games when carrying a lead into the break.
• Won 23 straight regular season home Southland Conference games and 26 consecutive wins against conference opponents (including tournament games).
• McNeese is now 40-3 the last three seasons in Southland Conference games.
• The win was the seventh straight over Lamar.
• With is 15 points scored on Friday night, has now scored 970 in his McNeese career and 1,298 in his overall career.
• DJ Richards Jr. added a 3FG made in the game, giving him 195 in his McNeese career, ranking seventh all-time and just four away from moving into a tie for sixth.
• Larry Johnson led the Cowboys in scoring for the seventh time this season after pacing the team with 19 points against Lamar.
• McNeese's sellout attendance of 4,612 broke the previous attendance record of 4,333 that was set earlier this season against ULL on November 14.
• By forcing Lamar into 10 turnovers, McNeese extended its streak by forcing its opponents into 10 or more turnovers to 22 games dating back to last season.