The Cowgirls are back in control of their own destiny. 

McNeese State earned that right with a 71-66 road victory over New Orleans Saturday in Lakefront Arena.

The win puts the Cowgirls back in a tie with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for the eighth and final spot in the Southland Conference postseason tournament. The Islanders lost Saturday to Incarnate Word, 63-55.

The Cowgirls hold the tiebreaker with the Islanders thanks to their win earlier this season in Corpus Christi. The two teams will meet in Lake Charles next Saturday.

East Texas A&M and Houston Christian are a game back of the two with five remaining. 

McNeese improved to 9-17 overall and 4-11 in the league. UNO fell to 2-22, 2-13.

“It was a big win for our team,” said McNeese head coach Lynn Kennedy. “We needed it.”

Kiayra Ellis led the Cowgirls with 18 points and nine rebounds. Kyla Davis had 13, hitting 3 of 5 3-pointers in her return to New Orleans. She transferred from UNO to McNeese this season.

The Cowgirls survived Nora Francios’s career-best 21-point, 11-rebound performance.

McNeese rallied to outscore the Privateers 19-9 in the fourth quarter for the victory, winning the game down the stretch. The Cowgirls held UNO scoreless over the final 1:53 after Brialle Washington’s layup gave the Privateers a 66-65 lead.

Wilnie Joseph responded with a jumper 22 seconds later to give McNeese the lead for good. Down the stretch, the Cowgirls hit 4 of 6 free throws, including the final two by sophomore Azjah Reeves with just 16.5 seconds remaining. 

“We keep limping through,” said Kennedy. “We found a way to win.”

The victory ended McNeese’s five-game losing streak, while the Privateers’ streak of defeats reached six. All of the Cowgirls’ victories in the Southland have come on the road this season, which is perhaps not a good sign since they are hosting the tournament.

McNeese will return to the Legacy Center Thursday night when they host Texas-Rio Grande Valley. In January, the Cowgirls dropped a 73-65 decision in Edinburg, Texas.