Jan. 7, 2006

Final Stats

McNeese State overcame scoring deficits in both the first and second halves to claim a 78-74 Southland Conference basketball victory over UT San Antonio here Saturday.

The Cowboys ran their record to 7-6 on the season and to 2-0 in league play while UTSA fell to 5-8 overall and to 0-2 in the SLC. It was also the third straight win for McNeese.

It wasn't until almost six minutes had gone off the clock that the Cowboys scored their first field goal in the game and they trailed the Roadrunners by nine points with 11:55 left.

Led by the scoring of John Ford and Ryan Price the Cowboys came back in that first half to hold a 30-26 lead at the intermission. A layup by Ford and a tipin by Darris Manciel put the Cowboys over the top.

In the second half, the Cowboys had another scoring slump allowing UTSA to go up by 10 points at 54-44 with 11:30 left. McNeese caught up at 67-67 on a three pointer by Dwight Boatner, putting out a 23-14 run, went ahead on a jumper by Ford and didn't trail again . After UTSA had closed to within two points at 76-74 with but five seconds left, Ford finished out an 18 point night by making two free throws.

Ford was the Cowboys' leading scorer, coming off the bench to make five of nine shots from the field and seven of eight free throws. Boatner finished with 15 points, 13 coming in the second half, and Aldryan Wardell put together a double , double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

J. T. Williams, who had entered the game as the league's second leading scorer, finished with six, 12 below his average for the Cowboys.

UTSA had the game's leading scorer in Andre owens with 28 points and had a double figure rebounder in Roderick Rodgers with 11.