By Jonathon Zenk, Northwestern State Assistant Director of Communications; featured photo by Taylor Riemersma, McNeese Athletics
LAKE CHARLES—While Northwestern State has multiple players who can score 20 in any given game, it received scoring contributions from the entire team in a dominant 80-56 road victory against McNeese on Saturday afternoon at Legacy Center.
While Mya Blake led the Demons (12-10, 9-4) with 10 points, a dozen Demons found the scoring column and eight players tallied between six and nine points and the stifling Demons held McNeese (8-16, 3-10) to just 33.3 percent shooting from the field.
“It was a complete team effort,” head coach Anna Nimz said. “I am very happy that so many people got some minutes. It was exciting to see a couple kids hit some really big shots. I am excited to see bench kids come in the game and hit on the perimeter and actually outscore our starters. It was good to see. We’ve been talking about different firepower throughout the season and it was a good game to be able to get kids in the game to see what we’ve got a little bit more. I am very proud of them and excited to be able to go home with two wins.”
Northwestern State has won five straight in the series and has won back-to-back games in Lake Charles for the first time since 2007 and 2008.
While Blake scored 10 points, she made plays for her teammates, dishing out eight assists and securing four rebounds.
The Demons raced out to a 10-2 lead and rolled from there, jumping out to a 20-9 advantage after one quarter.
Blake started off the scoring with a triple from the left wing as the visitors shot 50 percent from the field in the first quarter en route to a double digit lead after the first quarter.
Northwestern State’s lead never reached single digits in the final three quarters, as it outscored the Cowgirls 17-8 in the second quarter to open up a 37-17 lead at halftime.
During the quarter, Zhane Thompson buried two of her three triples in the game, her most in a game during Southland Conference play.
Thompson was one of four Demons who finished with nine points, being joined by Vernell Atamah, Nia Hardison and Clarence Djuela, with Djuela’s total being a career high.
Djuela scored nine points total during league play until Saturday, where she matched that. The freshman from Germany led the bench charge, as the Demons received more than half of their points (41) from the reserves.
Northwestern State held McNeese to 27.6 percent in the half to improve the lead and the best 3-point shooting defense team in the country held the Cowgirls without a made 3-pointer in nine attempts.
The second half was more of the same, where the lead remained above 20 for most of the second half. The closest McNeese made it was 16 following an 8-0 run, spanning the third and fourth quarters, but the Demons responded with a 19-6 run to push the lead to a game-high 29 points at 74-45.
In the midst of the run, Sharna Ayres buried her 183rd career 3-pointer, which ties her with Beatrice Attura for the fifth most in program history.
As a team, Northwestern State made 10-of-26 from deep, its fifth double digit 3-point effort of the season and second in the past five contests.
Djuela finished off the run with six points, scoring a basket on three consecutive possessions.
The Demons forced 15 McNeese turnovers and converted them to 24 points, outscoring the Cowgirls 24-6 in points off turnovers.
As a team, Northwestern State shot 43.5 percent from the field and converted from the free throw line as well, making 10-of-12 from the charity stripe.
After a long stretch of road games, the Demons come back to Prather Coliseum for five of their final seven games, beginning with huge contests against Lamar (Thursday) and Stephen F. Austin (Feb. 15).
“This week was all about sweep week and next week, it is all about redemption,” Nimz said. “I’ll be excited to watch some Chiefs tomorrow as well as some film. On Monday, it will be about us and us getting better and really focusing on that Thursday night game.”