LAKE CHARLES – Cheers to 100!
 
McNeese head coach Ayla Guzzardo recorded her 100th career Southland Conference victory on Thursday night following an 83-35 win over HCU to capture the team's 12^th-straight win.
 
The Cowgirls improved to 19-4 overall and 13-1 in conference play and maintains a two-game lead in the league standings over UTRGV and Lamar. HCU ell to 6-15 overall and 4-10 in the Southland.
 
Arianna Patton scored a career-high 23 points on the night behind 7 of 10 shooting, 4-for-7 from three-point range. Kaili Chamberlain put in 13 points while Tyreona Sibley added 12 to go along with five assists.
 
A 4-2 early game turned into a 30-2 blowout with just a minute gone by in the second quarter. The Cowgirls rolled off 26 straight points in a span of 8:41 covering most of the first quarter and into the second.
 
McNeese led 45-13 at the half, and after HCU battled tough in the third quarter, the Cowgirls outscored the Huskies 17-5 in the fourth, including playing the 8:48 of the game with a 17-3 run.
 
The Cowgirls entered the game as the nation's leader in turnover margin and held true to that title as they forced HCU into 27 turnovers while committing just 10 of their own. The Cowgirls outscored the Huskies 35-1 in points off turnovers and 20-0 in fast break points.
 
The 38-point margin of victory was the largest over a Division I opponent this season and marked the 16^th double-digit win on the year, 10^th by 20 points or more.
 
The Cowgirls return to action on Saturday when they host UIW at 1 o'clock in the Townsley Law Arena.
 
Notebook:
• McNeese hit 51.7% from the field (30-58), 42.1% from three-point range (8-19), and 83.3% at the free throw line (15-18).
• HCU shot 26.1% (12-46), 17.4% on 3s (4-23), and 41.2% at the free throw line (7-17).
• The Huskies held a 36-27 advantage in rebounding.
• Freshman Dakota Howard was held out of the game due to soreness but is expected to play on Saturday.
• Patton's 23 points marked the fifth 20-point game for the Cowgirls this season (Howard has the other four).
• The 27 turnovers forced onto HCU is the seventh straight game the Cowgirls have forced 20 or more turnovers and 18^th game overall.