March 10, 2007

Final Stats

Houston, TX - McNeese State made a run but couldn't bring it home as the Cowboys fell to top seeded TAM-Corpus Christi 87-66 in semifinal action of the Southland Conference basketball tournament here Friday.

"We just couldn't get close enough," McNeese head coach Dave Simmons said. "And,then we gave up too much early. We dug ourselves a hole and couldn't climb all the way out.

"The kids played hard right to the end and I am so proud of them."

The loss sent the Cowboys home and ended their season at 15-17 while the Islanders will go on to play Northwestern State in the conference finals on Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.

The Cowboys, who were the fourth seeded team in the tournament, never had the lead in the game after the 13:39 mark in the first. TAM-Corpus led by 20 points at 41-21 with 3:46 left in the first half and was up 43-28 at halftime.

Led by Jarvis Bradley, who scored 20 of his game high 25 points in the second half, the Cowboys began a comeback. They trailed by only eight points at 56-48 with 9:29 left after Bradley had converted a three point play. After a Islander surge, the Cowboys cut the deficit to nine at 62-53 with 7:56 left but that was as close asthey could come. Joining Bradley in double scoring figures for the Cowboys were John Ford with 13 points asnd Troy Aaron with 11. Cedric Smith led the Islanders with 16 ponts while Kevgin Menifee had 13, Chris Daniels 12 and Taurean Mitchell and Josh Washington 10 each.

The Islanders, now 25-6 overall, held a 32-23 rebounding lead.

A total of 26 fouls were called on the Cowboys in the game and TAM-Corpus shot 44 free throws, only two shy of the tournament record.

Writers Gary Laney of the American Press and Kevin Gore of the Nacogdoches Sentinel watch action at Friday's SLC tournament game.

McNeese had four more field goals than the Islanders who made six of 13 three point shots to the Cowboys one of 14.

TAM-Corpus held the upper hand in shooting percentage for the game also. The Islanders made 84.1 percent of their free throw shots, going 11 for 12 in the first half. They also connected on 56.4 percent of their field goals.

McNeese made 44.8 percent of its field goals and 65 percent of its free throws.

The Islanders connected on 37 of 44 free tries