LAKE CHARLES, La. – It was a tale of two halves on Monday night at the Legacy Center, as the McNeese Cowboys picked up a 77-51 win over the Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team.
 
There were five lead changes and four ties in the first half, but McNeese did not trail by less than two possessions in the second half. The Lions had the lead for nearly 16 minutes in the first half, but fall to 8-15 overall and 2-8 in Southland play, while the Cowboys are 20-3 overall, 9-1, in Southland play, and 12-0 at home. McNeese took both meetings over A&M-Commerce this year.
 
McNeese started the game shooting 0 for 5 from the field, with the Lions scored four points off turnovers and led 6-0 through the first four minutes and 38 seconds of the game. Kwo Agwa (Calgary, Canada) scored four for the Lions, who shot 2 for 7 to start the game.
 
Following the scoring drought, the Cowboys went on a 4-0 run, but the Lions served back a 6-0 run to take a 11-4 run through the first seven minutes of the game. Both teams started shooting 3 for 10 from the field each.
 
Through the first eight minutes of the game, both teams combined for 12 fouls and just six field goals made. McNeese committed its seventh foul of the half at the 12-minute mark, allowing the Lions to go 13 for 16 at the line in the first half.
 
The Cowboys used a 6-0 run to take their first lead of the game, 14-13, with nine minutes left in the game. The Lions answered with a pair of free throws on the next possession and extended their lead to 20-14 on a 7-0 run. Both teams went 1 for 5 from the field during that stretch.
 
McNeese knocked down four of five shots and used an 8-0 run to re-take a 22-20 lead, but the Lions answered with a three-pointer on the other end by Khaliq Abdul-Mateen (Irving – MacArthur), and McNeese was assessed a technical foul following the play. Kalen Williams (Augusta, Ga.) hit both free throws for a five-point trip for the Lions, extending the lead back up to three points.
 
The Cowboys scored the final eight points of the first half over the final 2:41 minutes to take a 30-26 lead into the locker room at halftime.
 
The Lions shot 5 for 21 from the field in the first half, going 3 for 10 from deep. The Cowboys made seven of their final eight shots to close out the first half, increasing their shooting percentage to 48 percent at the half, but went 0 for 5 from deep.
 
The two teams combined for 21 fouls and 11 turnovers in the first half, with two technical fouls charged to McNeese.
 
McNeese hit two three-pointers and a field goal on its first three offensive possession to take a seven-point lead, its largest of the game to that point. The Lions did answer with a pair of field goals on the other end, shooting 2 for 2 to start the second half, including a three-pointer.
 
The Cowboys went 0 for 5 from deep in the first half but hit their first their three shots from deep in the second half, outscoring the Lions, 14-5, through the first five minutes of the half to take a 13-point lead.
 
Through the first 10 minutes of the second half, McNeese shot 72 percent from the field and 86 percent from deep. McNeese outscored A&M-Commerce, 47-25, in the second half.
 
Agwa and Tommie Lewis (Vero Beach, Fla.) scored 10 points each for the Lions, who played every player that was active for the game. Lewis just missed out on a double-double, totaling nine rebounds, while Agwa had four rebounds. Williams and Ant Abraham (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) added seven points each.
 
The Lions shot 29 percent from the field, 5 for 22 from deep, and 20-25 at the line, being limited to just nine attempts in the second half. The Lions outrebounded the Cowboys, 32-29.
 
McNeese's Shahada Wells scored 16, while Mike Saunders Jr. scored 14 off the bench and JJ Richards added 13, also off the bench. McNeese shot 61 percent in the second half and 55 percent in the game, going 8 for 18 from the distance.

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The Lions head home for their final two games in the Field House during the month of February. A&M-Commerce welcomes New Orleans on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Southeastern next Monday at 7 p.m. Tickets for the game can be purchased on LionAthletics.com/Tickets.