LAKE CHARLES, La. – Southeastern Louisiana had three players in double figures but McNeese State used a big third quarter to pull away to a 96-79 victory over the Lady Lions in Southland Conference play Wednesday night at Burton Coliseum.

    Nanna Pool had 18 points, Taylin Underwood 16 and Chey Stewart 10 to lead Southeastern (3-15, 2-5) which held an eight-point second quarter lead and led 41-37 at the half. Pool and Dani Fielder had seven rebounds apiece as the Lady Lions held a 47-38 rebounding edge. Southeastern shot 42.9 percent from the field.

    But McNeese State (13-7, 5-3) opened the third quarter on a 19-9 run and shot 81.3 percent in the period in taking a 70-60 lead.

    Jaylin Johnson poured in a game-high 31 points to lead four Cowgirls in double figures. Allison Baggett had 22 points while Amber Donnes and Frederica Haywood added 15 apiece. Haywood also had a game-high 15 rebounds. McNeese shot 46.3 percent from the field, including 62.5 percent in the second half, and were 26 of 31 from the line.

    A KaeLynn Boyd layup kept Southeastern up 43-38 at the 8:47 mark of the third quarter. It was still 50-46 following a Pool layup with 6:21 left. But a Haywood layup off a Johnson assist started a 10-0 run for McNeese. The Cowgirls took the lead at 52-50 lead on a 3-pointer by Donnes with 5:22 remaining. A Donnes layup made it 56-50 before Chey Stewart hit a jumper at the 4:43 mark.  

    Another Stewart layup kept Southeastern within 60-56 with 2:52 left. But McNeese answered with a 10-2 run to take a 70-58 lead on a Victoria Rachal jumper with 26 seconds remaining.

    Southeastern would not get the deficit under double digits again. McNeese took its biggest lead at 94-74 on a Johnson jumper with 1:33 left.

    McNeese got out to an 11-7 lead on two Haywood free throws at the 5:04 mark of the first quarter. Following three ties and three lead changes, Stewart put Southeastern up 20-19 with a jumper off an assist from Peaches Anderson with 49 seconds left, then added a putback at the buzzer to make it 22-19.

    A Pool layup gave Southeastern its biggest lead at 33-25 with 6:42 left. McNeese twice pulled to within two before Pool scored off a Fielder assist with 48 seconds remaining to make it 41-37 at the half.

    Southeastern continues its four-game road trip at Northwestern State Saturday at 1 p.m.