LAKE CHARLES, La. – The eighth-seeded McNeese Cowboys knew they had a golden opportunity with home court advantage in the opening game of the 2023 Jersey Mike’s Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Championship presented by LouisianaTravel.com, and they capitalized with a 79-78 win over fifth-seeded A&M-Commerce.
 
The Cowboys (10-22 overall) advance to the SLC tournament quarterfinals for the second consecutive season and will face fourth-seeded Nicholls at 5 p.m. Monday. A&M-Commerce’s first season in the conference ends with a 13-20 record.
 
The game was tight throughout, with neither squad leading by more than seven points during the contest. McNeese shot 50.8 percent (30-of-59) from the field and held a 39-31 rebounding advantage.
 
Christian Shumate led the Cowboys with 28 points and 12 rebounds, while Dionjahe Thomas also had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Zach Scott scored 19 and Johnathan Massie netted 13 points.
 
The Lions were paced by C.J. Roberts with 19 points, including 10-of-11 at the free throw stripe and a game-tying three-pointer in the waning seconds of the game. Jerome Brewer, Jr., scored 17 points, Demarcus Demonia scored 13 points, and JJ Romer Rosario scored 12. A&M-Commerce shot 45.0 percent (27-of-60) from the field.
 
McNeese started off hot and jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the opening six minutes of the game before A&M-Commerce fought back to tie the game at 20-all with 8:58 to play on a Demonia three-point play. The game would not see a two-possession lead again until the second half, as the teams were knotted up at the break, 35-all.
 
The teams traded small runs in the second half, and A&M-Commerce led 67-62 with just under seven minutes to play. McNeese went on a 24-6 run, holding the Lions without a field goal for nearly six minutes and held a 76-70 lead with 1:14 to go.
 
Roberts scored A&M-Commerce’s final 10 points and tied the game at 78-all with a pull-up three with 26 seconds to play.
 
McNeese’s Donovan Oday held the ball until the final seconds and was fouled as he drove to the rack. He sank his first free throw and A&M-Commerce was unable to fire off a desperation shot, giving the homestanding Cowboys the win.