Add suspension to injury as the Cowgirls’ latest misery. 

McNeese State will be down two more players Thursday night as they host Incarnate Word inside the Legacy Center. 

The Cowgirls’ top rebounder, senior Mireia Yespes, was already ruled out with an injury. She averages 8.1 points and 7.5 boards per game, good for fifth in the league. However, she has been even better in conference play, moving up a spot to an 8.5 rebound average.

She missed last Monday’s comeback win over Corpus Christi and remains in concussion protocol. Yespes could be cleared by Saturday’s afternoon game at Nicholls. 

McNeese will also be without sophomore Azjah Reeves, who will be serving a one-game suspension. She was ejected from Monday’s game for kicking during a second-quarter incident.

The Southland Conference released a statement on Reeves’ punishment Wednesday that read:

“McNeese women’s basketball student-athlete Azjah Reeves has been suspended for one game following her ejection for fighting during Monday’s contest against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. In addition to the automatic suspension under NCAA rules, Reeves’s actions violated the Southland Conference’s Sporting Conduct bylaws, resulting in a public reprimand.”

No Islander was ejected or even given a foul for the incident.

With those two added to the list of players missing, McNeese will go into Thursday’s 6 p.m. tipoff with just nine available.

“We will have to be creative as coaches,” said McNeese head coach Lynn Kennedy.

The Cowgirls are coming off their first victory over the Islanders in Corpus Christi since 2011, a 59-54 thriller. This victory snapped a four-game skid for the season.

“That was a really big win for us,” said Kennedy. “To come back and get a win like that on the road, I hope it can get us some momentum moving forward.”

After a scoreless first half, Paris Guillory scored 18 points, including six of the game’s last seven, to break a 53-53 tie in the final two 51 seconds.

Boston Berry hit three 3-pointers to help start the McNeese rally.

“I loved our last two minutes; we didn’t back down,” said Kennedy. “We could have quit, but we didn’t.”

The Cowgirls will enter the game against UIW at 8-12 overall and 3-6 in the Southland, good for the eighth and final spot in the postseason. UIW is tied with two other teams for third at 13-6, 6-4. 

The top eight teams make the tournament.

Guillory is the only player on either team scoring in double figures. The sophomore guard is scoring at a 15.5 clip.

That’s one reason Kennedy expects a tight game against the Cardinals.

“They are a well-coached team that plays hard,” Kennedy said. “They find a way to win.”

As for his team, the McNeese coach is looking for a complete game.

“Play a full 40 minutes,” Kennedy said. “We want to start better and keep our momentum going.”

The Cowgirls will just have to try and do that with fewer bodies.