The Contraband
McNeese State’s senior point guard Jayln Johnson is small in frame but her shoulders were huge Saturday as she carried the Cowgirls in a 77-74 overtime win over New Orleans to extend the Cowgirls’ winning streak to three games.
McNeese improves to 14-7 overall and 6-3 in the SLC. The loss drops UNO to 6-12 overall and 3-6 in the SLC. The two teams will turn around and play each other in Lake Charles at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2.
Johnson led McNeese with 30 points in the victory, her second straight 30-point game this week. She scored 31 in the 96-79 win over Southeastern La. on Wednesday. Johnson, the league’s second best free throw shooter scored the Cowgirls’ final three points of the game from the free throw line. Johnson ended the game 9 of 25 from the field including a career high seven 3-pointers. She ended the game making 5 of 7 free throws.
Johnson was joined in double figure scoring by Amber Donnes who picked up her first career double-double with 13 points and a career high 10 rebounds.
“Jay is special,” said head coach Brooks Donald Williams. “She is playing for a program right now. She is playing for her teammates and Cowgirl Basketball and it shows. She is showing the pride she has for our program and McNeese. It’s that senior leadership and she is definitely playing for something more than herself,” said Williams.
McNeese struggled for the field for the first three quarters but kept fighting back when UNO would make a run. At times it wasn’t pretty but the Cowgirls stuck to the game plan and to eventually pick up the win.
The Cowgirls started the game 1 of 8 from the field and trailed 5-0 in the first minute of the game but dominated the fourth quarter by outscoring the Privateers 27-17 and 5-2 in the overtime period.
Allison Baggett’s two free throws in the first quarter sparked a 9-0 Cowgirl run and back-to-back layups by Donnes gave McNeese a 9-7 lead. After a UNO layup, McNeese put together another run on a three-point play by Johnson, a put back Frederica Haywood and a Baggett jumper. UNO ended the quarter on a 4-0 run but McNeese held a slim 16-15 lead.
UNO outscored the Cowgirls 20-12 in the second quarter behind Randi Brown who gave the Privateers a 22-20 lead on a three-pointer three minutes into the quarter. Brown scored a game high 39 points and was only 4 of 15 from three-point range and two of them came as time expired in the second and third quarters. One of Brown’s three-pointers started a UNO 9-0 run that gave the Privateers a 28-20 lead. Johnson’s three ended the UNO run to cut the lead to 28-23 but UNO would end the quarter outscoring McNeese 5-2 including Brown’s three-pointer at the buzzer. Brown ended the half with 16 points.
McNeese shot 31.4 percent from the field on 11 of 35 from the field including 2 of 9 from three-point range. UNO shot 38.5 percent (15-39) and were 2 of 9 from behind the arc.
“Randi Brown is a great player. She made some big time shots today with a hand in her face,” said Williams.
McNeese trailed 55-45 after the third quarter but the shots began to fall in the fourth quarter that allowed McNeese to outscore UNO 27-17 to send the game into overtime.
The Cowgirls started the fourth quarter off on a 7-0 run to cut the UNO lead 57-55. A trey by Johnson cut the lead to one (61-60) with 6:03to play. A Donnes three-pointer with 5:29 left gave McNeese a 63-61 lead, its first since the second quarter. The lead changed several times in the last five minutes. With the Cowgirls leading 72-69, Brown drove the lane and was fouled. She made the free throw to tie the game at 72 all. Both teams attempted a three-pointer in the final 40 seconds but neither team could get on to fall as time expired.
McNeese State’s senior point guard Jayln Johnson is small in frame but her shoulders were huge Saturday as she carried the Cowgirls in a 77-74 overtime win over New Orleans to extend the Cowgirls’ winning streak to three games.
McNeese improves to 14-7 overall and 6-3 in the SLC. The loss drops UNO to 6-12 overall and 3-6 in the SLC. The two teams will turn around and play each other in Lake Charles at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2.
Johnson led McNeese with 30 points in the victory, her second straight 30-point game this week. She scored 31 in the 96-79 win over Southeastern La. on Wednesday. Johnson, the league’s second best free throw shooter scored the Cowgirls’ final three points of the game from the free throw line. Johnson ended the game 9 of 25 from the field including a career high seven 3-pointers. She ended the game making 5 of 7 free throws.
Johnson was joined in double figure scoring by Amber Donnes who picked up her first career double-double with 13 points and a career high 10 rebounds.
“Jay is special,” said head coach Brooks Donald Williams. “She is playing for a program right now. She is playing for her teammates and Cowgirl Basketball and it shows. She is showing the pride she has for our program and McNeese. It’s that senior leadership and she is definitely playing for something more than herself,” said Williams.
McNeese struggled for the field for the first three quarters but kept fighting back when UNO would make a run. At times it wasn’t pretty but the Cowgirls stuck to the game plan and to eventually pick up the win.
The Cowgirls started the game 1 of 8 from the field and trailed 5-0 in the first minute of the game but dominated the fourth quarter by outscoring the Privateers 27-17 and 5-2 in the overtime period.
Allison Baggett’s two free throws in the first quarter sparked a 9-0 Cowgirl run and back-to-back layups by Donnes gave McNeese a 9-7 lead. After a UNO layup, McNeese put together another run on a three-point play by Johnson, a put back Frederica Haywood and a Baggett jumper. UNO ended the quarter on a 4-0 run but McNeese held a slim 16-15 lead.
UNO outscored the Cowgirls 20-12 in the second quarter behind Randi Brown who gave the Privateers a 22-20 lead on a three-pointer three minutes into the quarter. Brown scored a game high 39 points and was only 4 of 15 from three-point range and two of them came as time expired in the second and third quarters. One of Brown’s three-pointers started a UNO 9-0 run that gave the Privateers a 28-20 lead. Johnson’s three ended the UNO run to cut the lead to 28-23 but UNO would end the quarter outscoring McNeese 5-2 including Brown’s three-pointer at the buzzer. Brown ended the half with 16 points.
McNeese shot 31.4 percent from the field on 11 of 35 from the field including 2 of 9 from three-point range. UNO shot 38.5 percent (15-39) and were 2 of 9 from behind the arc.
“Randi Brown is a great player. She made some big time shots today with a hand in her face,” said Williams.
McNeese trailed 55-45 after the third quarter but the shots began to fall in the fourth quarter that allowed McNeese to outscore UNO 27-17 to send the game into overtime.
The Cowgirls started the fourth quarter off on a 7-0 run to cut the UNO lead 57-55. A trey by Johnson cut the lead to one (61-60) with 6:03to play. A Donnes three-pointer with 5:29 left gave McNeese a 63-61 lead, its first since the second quarter. The lead changed several times in the last five minutes. With the Cowgirls leading 72-69, Brown drove the lane and was fouled. She made the free throw to tie the game at 72 all. Both teams attempted a three-pointer in the final 40 seconds but neither team could get on to fall as time expired.
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