Cowgirls Fall To Central Arkansas :: Play In Front Of Second Largest Home/Neutral Crowd This Season

Jan. 27, 2008

JENNINGS-- McNeese State's women's basketball team fell 85-79 to Central Arkansas here Saturday in Southland Conference action.

Shante' Perry Scores Career High 21 Points

McNeese had three players score in double figures and junior guard Courtnee' Hollins led all players with 27 points. Shante' Perry, a junior from Cleveland, Texas scored a career high 21 points and Brittany Boone added 12 in the loss.

Central Arkansas had four players score in double figures with two recording double-doubles. Meaghan Kelleybrew led the Sugar Bears with 21 points and 10 rebounds while Alex Velazquez scored 10 points and led all players with 12 rebounds.

McNeese took an early 9-3 lead before Central Arkansas tied the game 14-14 with 14:03 in the first half. Central Arkansas took the lead for good on a Kelleybrew jumper with 13:43 left half and never looked back as they held a 48-32 halftime lead.

The Cowgirls were mismatched under the basket all day and the Sugar Bears took advantage of it. The Sugar Bears scored 30 points in the paint and 21 were second chance points. The Cowgirls were outrebounded 54-34 and shot 32.7% from the field and were 12 of 41 from three point range. The 41 attempts is a season high.

When it looked like the Sugar Bears were going to run away, McNeese would come back but could never take the lead.

McNeese cut the lead to one point (50-49) wit h14:18 left in the game on a 17-2 run to begin the second half. Central Arkansas stopped the Cowgirl rally with a run of its own. Central Arkansas went on a 16-6 run to take a 66-55 lead with 7:18 left in the game.

Down by 17 with 3:31 left in the game, McNeese fought back to cut the lead to 77-68 with 1:52 left. The Cowgirls fouled, hoping the Sugar Bears would miss its free throws but Central Arkansas scored its final eight points from the free throw line, all coming from Laura Beth Anderson. Anderson ended the game making 11 of 14 from the charity stripe.

McNeese (4-15, 2-3 SLC) will travel to Lamar this Saturday to face the Lady Cardinals at the Montagne Center in the first game of a doubleheader.