LAKE CHARLES, La. – The No. 1 McNeese Cowgirls advanced to the Southland Conference Championship Game with a 67–52 victory over No. 4 UTRGV Wednesday morning at the Legacy Center.

The Vaqueros kept things tight early, trailing just 31–30 at halftime, but McNeese seized control coming out of the break. The Cowgirls delivered a decisive 23-point third quarter, turning a one-point game into a double-digit lead behind relentless pressure and scoring in transition.

Tyreona Sibley led the Cowgirls with 24 points, repeatedly attacking the lane during the pivotal third-quarter surge, while Lexi Alexander added 18 points and 13 rebounds to anchor the McNeese effort inside. The Cowgirls finished with 40 points in the paint and 27 points off turnovers, using their defense to fuel the separation.

The victory sends McNeese to its first Southland Championship Game since 2012 and marks an immediate statement in head coach Ayla Guzzardo’s first season with the program.

For Guzzardo, the appearance is her third championship game in the last four seasons, after leading Southeastern Louisiana to the title game in 2023 and 2025, including winning the title in 2023.

McNeese will face the winner of No. 2 Lamar and No. 3 Stephen F. Austin in the Southland Championship Game Thursday at 4 PM CT on ESPNU.