Photo Courtesy of McNeese Athletics; Logos via sportslogos.net
McNeese tipped off its 2026-27 basketball season on Monday with a 99-78 victory over UAB in the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Justyn Fernandez drained a three-pointer to give the Blazers the early lead. Jerrell Colbert threw down a dunk for McNeese, but then Fernandez hit another three to make it 6-2 UAB. Larry Johnson made a driving layup to cut it to 6-4, but the Blazers responded with a 5-0 run.
The Cowboys got back on the scoreboard with an alley-oop dunk by Vanderbilt transfer Jaylon Dean-Vines. The Blazers, though, would push the lead up to nearly double digits. With a little more than 13 minutes left in the first half, UAB led McNeese 15-6.
The Cowboys would respond hugely.
Johnson made a jumper that sparked a 10-0 run, which was capped with a three-pointer by Syracuse and Utah transfer Elijah “Choppa” Moore that gave McNeese the lead. A few minutes later, the Cowboys extended their lead to nine points after a slam dunk by Dean-Vines.
Bill Armstrong’s McNeese squad pushed to double digits for a long stretch in the final five minutes of the first half, as much as 17 points. At the break, the Cowboys led the Blazers 44-35.
Early in the second half, UAB managed to trim the lead down to seven points, but McNeese always to respond. After UAB’s Deuce Jones made a pair of free throws with 16:35 left, Washington and Florida State transfer Christian Nitu hit a three and then moments later Ole Miss transfer Corey Chest put down an alley-oop dunk to give the Cowboys a 12-point lead.
UAB’s Elihah Duval hit a jumper off of a turnover to make it a seven-point game with 14:13 left, but McNeese’s Johnson answered with a three-pointer.
McNeese pushed its lead to 20 points after Dean-Vines hit a three-pointer and then Colbert made a pair of free throws. With 7:28 to go in the game, the Cowboys led 82-62. The Cowboys would not look back as they picked up the season-opening victory.
BIG NUMBER: 12
McNeese’s shots from beyond the arc were falling on Monday as the Cowboys drained 12-fo-25 three pointers.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME: LARRY JOHNSON & ELIJAH MOORE
The reigning Southland Conference Freshman of the Year gave the Cowboys the spark they needed offensively. Johnson led McNeese with 31 points on 13-of-21 shooting, with five rebounds and four assists. Moore meanwhile scored 15 points as he led the Cowboys with five made three pointers.
UP NEXT: McNeese (1-0) will play at North Texas this Thursday. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
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