Size matters.

After playing their best half of basketball this season, the Cowgirls learned they have some growing to do, literally and figuratively.

The Southland Conference’s biggest bullies came to town Thursday night and muscled their way to late victory behind 6-foot-4 Morgan Davis.

Southeastern used 16 fourth-quarter points in the paint to rally and beat McNeese State 69-68, staying undefeated in the league with Davis leading the way, snapping the Cowgirls’ three-game winning streak.

The Cowgirls (8-11, 3-3 SLC) led for all but 36 seconds.

Davis’ 3-point play with 22.1 seconds remaining proved to be the winning play and gave Lady Lions (10-6, 6-0) their first lead since the opening 14 seconds.

McNeese could not get a shot off at the buzzer.

“We have to be able to get a shot there,” said McNeese head coach Lynn Kennedy. “We just didn’t execute the play right.”

Junior Desirae Hansen was stripped of the ball while trying to make something happen as the clock ticked down.

“There are moments where we look like a really good team,” Kennedy said. “There are moments where we don’t.”

Davis came off the bench and scored 11 of her team-high 19 points in the final 10 minutes when the Lions rallied.

“Give them credit, they went to the post when they needed to,” Kennedy said. “We have to be better in our interior defense. We didn’t adjust well.”

Southeastern outscored the Cowgirls 58-26 in the paint and outrebounded McNeese 40-33.

Caitlyn Williams finished with 14 points and eight rebounds for SLU. Chrissy Brown chipped in 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

After winning, the Lions raced onto the court in celebration.

“If a team comes in here and celebrates like that when they win, it seems like we are the team to beat,” Kennedy said.

Zuzanna Kulinska led McNeese with 19 points while Hansen finished with 17.

Playing their best half of basketball of the season, the Cowgirls raced to a 34-26 lead at the break. Hansen led the way, hitting 4 of 6 shots from beyond the 3-point arc for 12 points. Her back-to-back 3s gave McNeese a 24-18 lead with 7:20 left in the second quarter.

Freshman Kaili Chamberlin followed with a 3 and, when Le’Shenae Stubblefield hit a runner, the Cowgirls were up double digits, 29-18, with 4:16 left. Chamberlin, one four Cowgirls in double figures, scored 11 points, as did Cristina Gil.

Kulinska had 11 in the first half. Her nine early points gave the Cowgirls a 16-12 lead after one quarter as they hit their first five shots from the floor.

“We are close, we are just not there yet,” Kennedy said.