Lamar sports information

LAKE CHARLES — McNeese State rattled off a 7-0 run with less than 8 minutes remaining in the game, and Lamar was unable to recover falling to their rivals, 69-60, Saturday afternoon in the regular-season finale, and the final game played at Burton Coliseum.

The Cardinals (19-12, 11-7 Southland) will be the No. 6 seed in the Southland Conference tournament beginning Wednesday at the Merrell Center in Katy.

The Cardinals never could find their rhythm offensively finishing the game 22 of 65 (.338) from the field. Big Red struggled to a 7-of-27 (.259) performance in the second half. LU also converted just 5-of-20 three-point field goals, all five coming in the opening half of action.

While LU struggled on one end of the court, McNeese remained consistent on the other. The Cowboys shot 50 percent in the opening half and finished the day 22 of 47 (.468). McNeese was also 21-of-33 (.636) from the free throw line, while the Cardinals were sent to the stripe just 20 times (11-of-20, .550).

The Cardinals were also outrebounded by seven, 43-36, Saturday, which allowed the Cowboys to overcome 22 turnovers.

Junior Nick Garth came off the bench to lead the Red and White with 18 points but finished the game without a three-pointer. He was joined in double figures by senior Colton Weisbrod (12 points) and senior Joey Frenchwood (11). Kalob Ledoux was one of five Cowboys in double figures leading the way with 17 points.

“I thought McNeese played with a greater sense of urgency today,” said LU head coach Tic Price. “They recognized that they had to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. We didn’t play the way we are capable of and it cost us. They beat us in the effort areas, and shot for a high percentage – we are going to have to fix our mindset before we open the tournament.

“We made things very tough on ourselves this afternoon. We now have to win four games in four days,” added Price.

Frenchwood hit the first basket of the game – a three-pointer – and that was a common theme for the Cardinals in the first half. The California native, was 3-of-5 from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes of action and went into the locker room with 11 points. Frechwood helped the Cardinals take a two-point lead into the intermission, 37-35, despite a Cowboys’ squad that shot 50 percent from the field in the opening half.

McNeese converted 12 of its first 21 (.571) attempts but trailed for the majority of the half, and never led by more than three in the first 20 minutes.

The Cowboys also gained an advantage from the free throw line in the opening half of play. McNeese converted 6 of 8 (.750) attempts from the stripe, while the Cardinals managed just 2 of 7 (.286).

The second half started positively for the Cardinals as Big Red got a floater in the paint from senior James Harrison following an offensive foul against McNeese. Despite the positive start, the Cardinals struggled from the field to open the second half converting just two of its first eight attempts.

Despite the slow start, the Cardinals grabbed a five-point lead following a technical foul against McNeese’s James Greenwood. Garth convert both free throws but the Cardinals returned the favor moments later as Garth was assessed a technical foul following a made basket.

The technical foul sparked the Cowboys as they rallied to grab the lead, an advantage they would hold for the next five minutes. LU was finally able to surge back in front when it got a basket in the paint from junior Josh Nzeakor with the shot clock winding down. The two teams alternated baskets until Garth tied the game at 55, but the basket lit a fire under McNeese as they responded with a 7-0 run. The Red and White could get no closer than four points in the game’s final minutes as McNeese held on for the victory.

The Cardinals now turn their attention to the opening round of the SLC Championship tournament. The Cards will be back in action Wednesday to face No. 7 seed Central Arkansas. The game against the Bears is slated to tip off at 7:30 p.m. from the Merrell Center. It can be heard live on Newstalk 560 KLVI. Tickets can be purchased by calling the LU Ticket Office at 409-880-1715.