Cowgirls out to avoid 10th straight loss

Published 9:19 am Saturday, January 27, 2024

The Cowgirls will attempt to end their losing streak before it reaches double digits today.

McNeese State will continue its three-game homestand with a Southland Conference game against New Orleans to start a doubleheader at 1 p.m. today.

The last-place Cowgirls (4-16, 0-7), looking for their first win over a Division I opponent, saw their skid reach nine games Thursday night when they lost to Northwestern State for the second time this month, 60-44.

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The Demons, winners of five straight against the Cowgirls, improved to 8-10, 4-3.

“We could not hit any shots for the entire game,” said McNeese head coach Lynn Kennedy.

McNeese managed to connect on 17 of 53 shots from the floor and 2 of 17 from long range. The Demons made 7 of 19 3-pointers, giving them a 15-point advantage from behind the line.

“You can’t be down 15 points at home on 3-point shots,” Kennedy said. “That’s too much to overcome.”

The 44 points was a season-low for the Cowgirls against non-Power Five competition.

“We have to have somebody be ready to step up,” Kennedy said. “We need to take what we talk about and work on in practice to the game.”

Junior forward Emilia Tenbrock entered the game as the league’s leading scorer, averaging 16 points. However, she struggled for a second time against the Demons, finishing with three. She had five in the 78-54 loss at Natchitoches on Jan. 4.

Tenbrock had averaged 24.6 points over the last five games, including scoring a career-high 40 against Texas A&M-Commerce.

Mireia Yespes led the Cowgirls with 13 points and four rebounds. She was the lone McNeese player in double figures.

Yespes fouled out with 4:46 to play and the Cowgirls down 57-35.

The Demons’ Nia Hardison led all scorers with 18 points.

McNeese is hoping for a better showing against UNO (6-12, 3-4).

DeArica Pryor, the reigning SLC Player of the Week, leads the Privateers in scoring at 11.1 a game. She is coming off a game Thursday when she didn’t score in a 3-point loss at Lamar.

“I want us to come out and fight and compete,” Kennedy said.