HAMMOND—Head coach Ayla Guzzardo returned to her home town Thursday night for the first time since being named McNeese head coach last March to lead McNeese women's basketball in a homecoming for her and several players that grew up around the Hammon area.

Guzzardo, who spent the previous eight seasons as head coach of Southeastern, brought nine of her former Southeastern players and her entire coaching staff with her to McNeese.  

Dakota Howard and Arianna Patton combined for 29 points to lead McNeese women's basketball in a 72-30 Southland Conference win over Southeastern Thursday night extending the Cowgirls winning streak to eight games.  The Cowgirls improve to 15-4 overall and 9-1 in the Southland Conference.  The win is the second win over the  Lady Lions this season.

The 9-1 SLC record is the best start in the first 10 conference games since the 2010-11 team posted a 9-1 record as well in their first 10 conference games.

Southeastern fell to 2-15 overall and 1-9 in the SLC with the loss. 

Howard was 8 for 8 from the field, three of four from the free throw line with four rebounds.  Patton was 4 of 10 from the field including two three-pointers.

Lexi Alexander led the Cowgirls with nine rebounds, seven coming on defense. Chamberlin ended the game with nine points, all coming on three 3-pointers.  Jen Pierre scored seven points while Averi Berry was credited with five rebounds.

1st QUARTER
• McNeese scored the first seven points of the game and held a 12-3 lead midway through the quarter.
• Pierre scored six of the Cowgirls first 11 points
• Cowgirls took a double figure lead (14-3) on a Dakota Howard jumper with 4:44 left in the quarter
• Held a double figure lead for the rest of the quarter
• McNeese shot 50% from the field and held Southeastern to 19% from the field
• 10 of the Cowgirls 19 points were scored in the paint  
McNeese 19, Southeastern 7

2nd QUARTER
• McNeese opened the second quarter by scoring the first 20 points of the quarter with Tyreona Sibley scoring the first five of the 13 points
• The Cowgirls took a 22-point lead on a three-pointer by Kaili Chamberlin with 8:17 left in the quarter
• McNeese took a 30-point lead (32-7) on a three-pointer by Arianna Patton with 6:33 left in the quarter 
• Took its largest lead of the half twice on two three-pointers by Kaili Chamberlin
• Outscored Southeastern 28-6 in the quarter
• McNeese shot 51 percent from the field in the half including 42% from three-point range 95 of 12)
• Dakota Howard scored 12 first half points, Chamberlin had nine in the first half on 3 of 5 three-pointers. 
HALFTIME: McNeese 47, Southeastern 13

3rd QUARTER
• McNeese outscored Southeastern 17-14 in the quarter
• McNeese held a 37-point lead 
• Both teams shot 50 percent from the field 
McNeese 64, Southeastern 27 

4th QUARTER
• McNeese took a 40-point lead (67-27) on a free throw by Pierre with 7:36 left in the game
 
FINAL: McNeese 72, Southeastern 30

McNEESE NOTES
• The six second quarter points is the fewest points allowed by the Cowgirls in the second half this season
• The 9-1 conference record is the best SLC record in the first 10 games of SLC action since the 2010-11season when that team also posted a 9-1 record in the first 10 SLC games.
• It's the second win over Southeastern this season
• McNeese defeated the Lady Lions 77-55 in Lake Charles on Jan. 10.
• Extended its winning streak to eight games 
• Have won 12 of last 14 games


UPCOMING GAMES
Jan. 24 New Orleans* (12 p.m.)
Jan. 29 at SFA* (6 p.m.)
Jan. 31 at Lamar* (3 p.m.)
Feb. 5 Houston Christian (6:30 p.m.)*
Feb. 7 Incarnate Word (1 p.m.)*
Feb. 12 at Northwestern State (6:30 p.m.)*
Feb. 14 at East Texas A&M (2:30 p.m.)
Feb. 19 UTRGV (6:30 p.m.)*
Feb. 21 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (1 p.m.)*
Feb. 26 at Nicholls (6:30 p.m.)*
Feb. 28 at UNO (2 p.m.)*
Mar. 2 Stephen F. Austin (6:30 p.m.)*

SLC Game; Home game in BOLD