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From staff and wire reports

HOUSTON — Zach Scott and Dru Kuxhausen sank two free throws each in the final 7.7 seconds and McNeese State ended a five-game losing streak Saturday by beating Houston Baptist 74-71 for its first Southland Conference win.

Carlos Rosario scored 17 points and eight grabbed rebounds as the Cowboys (7-8, 1-5 SLC) won their first road game in six tries and snapped a six-game conference losing streak dating to last season.

Kuxhausen had 15 points for McNeese. A.J. Lawson added 13 points, six rebounds and six assists. Keyshawn Feazell had 10 points and nine rebounds.

Zach Iyeyemi had 17 points and three blocks, both career highs, for the Huskies (2-12, 1-5), who have lost five consecutive games. Pedro Castro added 16 points and six assists. Freshman Brycen Long had a career-high 16 points.

“I’m really happy for our guys,” said Cowboys head coach Heath Schroyer. “This was a great team win for us. These guys have been through so much over the last few weeks.

“They’re (HBU) a dangerous team. I told our guys they play the same whether they’re down 10 points or up 10 and we knew they had a run in them.”

Lawson forced a turnover with a steal with 16 seconds left. That led to Scott being fouled with 7.7 remaining. He calmly sank both free throws to put the Cowboys up 72-68.

The Huskies got a long 3-pointer from Long with 3.4 seconds left to cut the Cowboys’ lead to 72-71.

Kuxhausen was fouled on the inbounds pass with 2.8 seconds to play. He knocked down both free throws to make it a 74-71 lead. HBU, which trailed by nine at the half, attempted a last-second desperation heave from near mid-court that bounced off the back of the rim.

“We’ll enjoy this one then turn our attention to a really good Nicholls team,” Schroyer said.

McNeese led 38-29 at the half but HBU stormed out of the gate in the second half with a 24-4 run in the first 7 minutes to take a 53-42 lead.

But McNeese didn’t fold and began chipping away at the lead, cutting the margin to 53-48 after a Lawson layup with 10:31 to play.

HBU answered with a 7-2 run, ending on a Za-Ontay Boothman 3-pointer to put the Huskies up 60-50 with 8:28 to play.

Rosario got the fire going again with a three-point play, and after a Huskies turnover, Kuxhausen knocked down a 3-pointer to pull the Cowboys to within 60-56 at the 7:43 mark.

Feazell got into the action after scoring four straight points, the first basket after an offensive board and putback, then he followed that with a monster dunk to make it a 64-60 deficit with 5:58 to play.

A Rosario offensive rebound and foul sent him to the line where he made both free throws. After a Huskies miss, Kuxhausen tied the score at 64 with a floating jumper and 4:31 remaining.

The Cowboys regained possession of the ball after Braelon Bush took a charge following Kuxhausen’s tying goal. That led to a Scott jumper, which extended the run to 8-0 and gave McNeese a 66-64 lead with 4:09 on the clock, its first since losing it 12 minutes earlier.

HBU scored four straight to go up 68-66, but Kuxhausen answered with another floater and tying it once again with 2:32 to play. Feazell scored on a jumper with 1:22 left to put McNeese up 70-68.

The Huskies, who are 0-8 away from home, begin a season-long four-game road trip on Wednesday.McNeese