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KATY, Texas – "A complete team performance," said HBU head coach Donna Finnie at the post-game press conference. She was completely right, as everybody chipped in as No. 8 HBU defeated No. 5 McNeese State, 70-68, Thursday in the first round of the Southland Conference Tournament from the Merrell Center.

"It was a great team performance, I can't single out one player," said Finnie. "McNeese State is an exceptionally well-coached team. I told the team in the locker room that if we stopped that run [14-2 run to end first half], they weren't going to have another."

"We knew we were ready and, like our motto has been all year long, we were ready to prove people wrong," said junior forward Anna Strickland.

HBU (13-17) was led by Strickland, who led all players with 16 points, five blocks, and a career-high 20 rebounds. Strickland finished five rebounds and five blocks shy of tying the tournament single-game records. She also had three assists and two steals in 37 minutes. Tayler Jefferson came off the bench to score 13 points – 11 in the first half – with four assists. She hit all three 3-point attempts. Erin McGarrachan chipped in with 12 points and Monet Neal added 11 points and nine boards. HBU shot 44 percent from the floor in the game.

Jayln Johnson led McNeese State (17-13) with 17 points and eight assists, while Talisa Boyd had a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds. Allison Baggett had 11 points, but was 4-for-21 from the floor. The Cowgirls shot 37 percent from the floor in the game.

HBU started the game scoring nine of the first 11 points, started with a Heidi Sihvola three-pointer and McGarrachan's jumper in front of McNeese State's bench forced the Cowgirls to call a timeout at the 16:40-mark of the opening half.

The Cowgirls cut the deficit to three, 11-8, but the Huskies used a 14-3 run to run their lead to 25-11 with 10:42 remaining and forcing another Cowgirl timeout. Rachel Arthur forced a turnover which led to a fast-break layup for Jefferson and Jefferson nailed a trey at the top of the key that culminated the run.

HBU led by as many as 17, 37-20, with 4:43 remaining following Jefferson's third trey of the game, but McNeese State ended the first half outscoring HBU, 14-2, as HBU's lead was four, 39-35, at halftime.

Jefferson led HBU with 11 first-half points, but had to sit down shortly after hitting her third 3-pointer as she was called with her third foul. Strickland followed with eight points and led all players with three blocks. HBU as a team hit 48 percent from the floor (15-for-31), 80 percent from beyond the arc (4-for-5), and 83 percent from the free throw line (5-for-6).

Baggett led McNeese State with eight first-half points, while Boyd had seven. The Cowgirls shot 38 percent from the floor (14-for-37), 38 percent from beyond the arc (3-for-8), and 67 percent from the charity stripe (4-for-6).

Amber Donnes' layup at the 14:37-mark tied the game at 47-all. Moments later, the Cowgirls forced a steal and the Cowgirls went on a fast-break for an easy layup, but Jefferson got a hand on the ball to send it out of bounds and allow the defense to set up.

A Johnson three-pointer halted an 8-0 HBU run as the Huskies continued to lead, 55-50, with 7:50 remaining in regulation.

Donnes made a basket and was fouled, giving the Cowgirls the chance to tie the game at 66-all with 13 seconds remaining. HBU took a timeout and the "icing the kicker" plan worked, as Donnes missed the game-tying free throw, Neal pulled down the important defensive rebound, and Jefferson was fouled with seven seconds. Upon further review, the foul was called intentional, Jefferson made both, and HBU got the ball with a three-point lead. Sihvola, who had guarded First Team All-Conference honoree, Baggett, exceptionally well, was fouled with six seconds remaining and made both shots, icing the game.

No. 8 HBU faces No. 4 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Friday at 11 am in the second round of the Southland Conference Tournament.