Celebrating their head coach’s last game in exile, the Cowboys rolled to an easy victory over Mississippi University for Women.

With Will Wade sitting out the last of his 10-game suspension, McNeese State gave their two acting coaches a strong sendoff with a resounding 92-23 victory over the Owls inside the Legacy Center Tuesday night.

The win improved McNeese’s record to 8-2 and 5-0 at home. It is the best start in program history since 1976 when the Pokes began 9-2 before losing their third game.

“We have to be able to give our best night in and night out,” said acting coach Vernon Hamilton. “We hold ourselves to a new standard. The bar is set higher now.”

All 10 Cowboys who played scored, with five of them reaching double figures. DJ Richards led the way with 15 points. Christian Shumate, Dionjahe Thomas and Wesley Fields all added 12.

The margin of victory was the largest of the season for McNeese.

Omar Cooper, making his third straight start, ended with six points, 10 assists and just one turnover in just over 17 minutes of play.

Tarik Islamovic led MUW with five points as the Owls ended the night with just seven made baskets on 55 shots from the field. They were just 2-of-25 from behind the 3-point line.

“We wanted to stick to our principals and our standards,” Cooper said of the Cowboy defense which forced 29 turnovers.

If there was any doubt in this one it ended fairly early. The Owls (3-3) managed just two points in the final nine minutes of the first half and didn’t score a point in the last 6:29.

Meanwhile, the Pokes scored 24 points in that span, including the final 17 to lead 47-9. That tied the program record for least number of points allowed in a half by the Cowboys, who also turned the trick on Nov. 11, 2019 against Southern-New Orleans.

After that it was just a matter of the final score.

Graduate transfer guard Shahada Wells, the Pokes leading scorer, didn’t play after picking up his fourth Player of the Week honor earlier Tuesday. With McNeese off until being back home Dec. 13 when Wade will be back, Wells and his 19.1 points a game average were rested along with fellow guard Jovohn Garcia.

Both have had nagging injuries and could have played if needed according to Hamilton. Instead, they will get the next week off before playing Southern Mississippi.