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KATY, Texas – With four seconds left and the possibility of a second overtime – along with the end of their season – McNeese State forward Austin Lewis made sure neither scenario would come into play.
Lewis’ block of a Cedric Jenkins shot proved to be the clinching moment for the Cowboys, who advanced to the second round of the Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament with a 62-60 win over Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday evening. Fifth-seeded McNeese State (15-15) will now play fourth-seed Northwestern State on Thursday at 5 p.m.
“I didn’t want to let the [McNeese State’s seniors] down,” said Lewis, who had six blocks on the evening. “I know I’d want someone to do that for me, so I went up and put everything I had into the play.”
The block capped off a game in which the Cowboys never led in either the second half or overtime until Kevin Hardy found Keelan Garrett for a layup that gave McNeese State the lead for good with 57 seconds left in the extra session.
McNeese State completed a three-game sweep of Southeastern Louisiana (9-23), having defeated them February 2 and February 16.
“They always say the old cliché in coaching is it’s tough to beat a team three times,” said Cowboys coach Dave Simmons. “Believe me, it’s tough.”
Using only six players, the Lions did everything they could to break the adage.
Tied at 27-27 at intermission, Southeastern Louisiana wore down McNeese State on the glass and used that advantage to take a 44-35 lead when DeVonte Upson converted a layup with 11:45 in regulation. Faced with his team’s season coming to an end, Simmons handed the reins over to Shun Johnson, who then proceeded to play sniper at the most critical time for the Cowboys.
Johnson made the most of his only three field goals, as each came from long range and helped cut the Lions’ lead to 48-47 at the 7:29 mark. A more intense effort on the glass – along with clamping down on Jenkins – allowed McNeese State to chip away until they finally tied the game at 55-all on Lance Potier’s tip-in with 2:34 remaining.
The Cowboys had a chance to win the game with 1.5 seconds left in regulation, but Johnson’s shot was blocked by Jimmie Duplessis as the horn sounded.
For Southeastern Louisiana, the game signaled the end of what was an injury-plagued season for the Lions, which were pelted with injuries from the outset of the campaign. Still, coach Jay Ladner’s team refused to quit despite the circumstances.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been around a team that showed more character and not quitting,” said Ladner.
“I feel this game was our whole season in (45) minutes,” said Jenkins, who scored 19 of his game-high 27 points in the first half.
Garrett led McNeese State with 14 points, while Hardy, Johnson and Desharick Guidry each scored 11 for the Cowboys. Onochie Ochie had 12 points and 11 rebounds while Upson added 10 points and 10 boards for the Lions.
POSTGAME QUOTES
McNeese State
Head Coach Dave Simmons
Opening statement…
“That was a hard fought game. [Southeastern Louisiana] came to play. They had been playing very well and they made some adjustments due to injuries. We were very fortunate to win. Our seniors did not want to go home. We fought and fought and these guys to the side of me all had a huge game. Shaun Johnson didn’t get a lot of time in the first half, but came in back in the second half and hit some 3-pointers in the second half. Kevin [Hardy] is Kevin, what else can you say about Kevin Hardy? We were happy to win a basketball game. Every kid played hard and I’m proud for them and proud of me seniors.”
On Shaun Johnson’s three 3-pointers…
“[They were] huge. Shaun is a shooter and I tell the guys that’s what Shaun Johnson was put in the game for. He hit one, and another and another. Once we got ahead, we probably should have been a little more patient, but when you’re playing for your life you take advantage of everything you have.”
Junior Forward Austin Lewis
On his block at the end…
“I just dug down. I love those seniors and I didn’t want them to go home and I know I would want someone to do that for me. I just went up with everything I had and tried to get the ball.”
Senior Guard Kevin Hardy
On the last basket with the steal…
“I saw, I think [Southeastern Louisiana’s] Onochie Ochie and he was wide open and when I saw the ball go up, I made my best effort to go and get it. Once I got the steal, I saw Keelan [Garrett] leak out and gave it everything I had to get the pass to him so he could finish it.”
Southeastern Louisiana
Head Coach Jay Ladner
Opening statement…
“Obviously, you know we’re a new coaching staff there and so it’s been an eventful first year. I don’t know how many more I can survive like this. Throughout the season we had lost our starting point guard, two-guard, and our starting small forward, but when all that began to happen I thought playing pretty good basketball, and started putting things together, but eventually we got to the point where we were obviously shorthanded and playing some young men that maybe hadn’t played that much through the course of their career. Courageous is a great word. Not one time were they negative. My gosh, they had so many opportunities to turn the other way. They’re high character young men. I certainly compliment our three seniors: Onochie Ochie, Cedric Jenkins and DeVonte Upson, just helping hold the team together and if you look back our last injury happened to be our point guard, Zay Jackson, who was one of the leaders throughout the different statistical categories and we lost him several weeks ago and at that point I thought to myself my gosh, we may, team just at that point our other backup point guard, Josh Filmore had already gotten hurt and out for the year, so we had to move Jimmy Duplessis there who was a converted small forward and had not played very much at all throughout the season. With all that being said, I don’t know if I’ve ever been around a team that has shown more toughness and more character in not quitting. Look at the scores, we were so close to being have won so many games over the last three, four weeks. Not once were we were ever really out of the basketball game. Lose by two, or one, and today by two in overtime. Just hurts, and they’re hurting because they battled their tails off and the coaching staff is hurting. What bothers me the most is our three seniors because they wanted to win and it’s never easy in that locker room in the end after that last game. Whether you’re in high school or junior college or division 1. It’s never easy unless you win that last game.”
On the last play…
“The play was executed perfectly. [McNeese State] did a great job. We got the ball to the person we wanted to get the ball to where he wanted to get the ball. I think if Cedric could do it over again he’d simply head fake because the guy from the weak side is the guy who came over and blocked it.”
Senior Guard Cedric Jenkins
On the last play…
“I think I had more time, but the game played so fast. We executed exactly the way coach told us. You don’t know how fast the clock is ticking. You know it’s getting to zero, but you don’t know how fast it’s going bccause it’s a split second. If I had to do it over again, I would definitely want the ball.”
On his career coming to an end…
“I’ve been through so much these past four years. Honestly and truthfully I thought I was done last year and I got blessed with an opportunity to play for coach Ladner and everything just kind of fell into place perfectly. Then I get here and I end up playing with some high character guys and that’s something that was real important to me.”
Senior Forward Onochie Ochie
On his career coming to an end…
“It’s real difficult, especially being my fifth year here. For it to end just like that when you walk into a game with confidence, you know you’re going to win. Losing is not an option. We’re going win, we’re joing win, so when you have that type of confidence and it doesn’t go the way you want it hurts, but I thank God for my career. I enjoyed it. I have no regrets, but I would like to have finished differently this year.”