Women’s Basketball: Bolton returns home to lead McNeese in 75-70 win at Southeastern La.

HAMMOND – Regan Bolton returned to her hometown Saturday to lead McNeese with 25 points and Sky Jasper gave the Cowgirls a spark off the bench with 11 points in a 75-70 win over Southeastern Louisiana. Callie Maddox pitched in with 12 points. Bre’Ashlee Jones and Damilola Balogun led McNeese with 10 points apiece.

“This was a big win for us and a much-needed win for us,” said head coach Kacie Cryer. “We got off to a slow start-credit Southeastern La. who did some good things and got to the free throw line early. We clawed our way back into the game and I thought Sky Jasper gave us a spark off the bench and our team fed off of that. From that point on, I thought the game turned,” Cryer said.

Bolton ended the game with six three-pointer (6 of 12) and was 7 of 15 from the field including a half court trey at the buzzer to end the third quarter.

“A lot of different players came into the game and did some great things, it was a total team effort. Bolton’s three at the end of the third quarter was another spark heading into the fourth quarter. I’m not surprised she made it, she practices them all the time from that distance.”

McNeese held a slim 4-3 lead early in the game before Southeastern La. went on a 16-0 run to lead 20-4 before Regan Bolton ended the Cowgirl scoring drought with a three-pointer with just over a minute left in the opening quarter.

The Cowgirls picked up their defensive intensity and the offense got on track in the second quarter which was sparked by seven points in nine minutes from Jasper off the bench. The Cowgirls cut the Lady Lion lead to single digits for the first time in the game after a Callie Maddox three-pointer then Kaylee Hughes’ three-pointer as the buzzer to end the second quarter send McNeese into the locker room trailing by seven, 36-29.

“Kaylee’s three just before the half was big, it cut the lead to single digits and gave us momentum to come out in the second half.”

McNeese took its first lead of the game (51-50) following two free throws by Jasper late in the third quarter then Bolton’s half court heave as the buzzer sounded for a 55-51 lead.

Once the Cowgirls took the lead, they never gave it up and led by as many as seven points twice in the fourth quarter. Southeastern La. got as close as one point (63-62) with 3:44 to play but back-to-back treys by Bolton upped the Cowgirl lead back to seven points, 69-62.

McNeese used the free throw line to its advantage in the final minute of the game by scoring its last six points of the game from the charity stripe.

After being outscored in the first quarter, McNeese outscored SE La. in the next three quarters. The Cowgirls ended the game shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 56.0 percent from behind the arc, connecting on 14 of 25 attempts.

Jaclyn Scholvin led the Lady Lions with 23 points including 14 first quarter points behind 3 of 3 three-pointers in the quarter. Scholvin was held to one more three-pointer late in the game.

Charliee Dugas added 21 points on 9 of 15 from the field and led the Lady Lions with seven rebounds.