LAKE CHARLES, La. – HBU junior guard Timia Jefferson tied her career high with 28 points and junior forward N'Denasija Collins added a double-double as the Huskies pulled away from McNeese for an 82-74 victory in the Southland Conference women's basketball opener Saturday afternoon in Legacy Center.
 
Jefferson hit 7-of-16 from the field, including 3-of-6 on 3-pointers, and went 11-for-12 from the free-throw line, while adding five assists for the Huskies (5-7, 1-0 SLC). Collins scored 17 points, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the field, and pulled down 14 rebounds. Junior guard Kennedy Wilson went 8-of-8 from the free-throw line to score 12 points and dished out nine assists. Senior guard Julija Vujakovic chipped in with 11 points and senior center Marilyn Nzoiwu had six points, six rebounds and a pair of blocks.
 
Cristina Gil led the Cowgirls (5-9, 0-1) with 22 points, hitting 9-of-13 from the floor and 4-of-5 from deep. Zuzanna Zulinska scored 16 points and had four steals and Kaili Chamberlin had 11 points. Divine Tanks added 10 points and nine rebounds.
 
HBU shot 45.6 percent from the field, hitting 8-of-20 from 3-point range, while McNeese shot 45.2 percent and 6-of-18 from long range. The Huskies held the advantage at the free throw line, knocking down 22-of-24, while the Cowgirls made 12-of-16. McNeese outrebounded HBU, 38-30, but committed more turnovers, 15-10.
 
The Huskies trailed, 62-60, with 7:22 left in the game, but Nzoiwu's putback tied it up, then back-to-back layups by Collins put HBU up by four. Le'Shenae Stubblefield hit a pair of free throws for the Cowgirls to get them back to within two, but the Huskies finished off a 12-2 run on a bucket by Nzoiwu and four-straight free throws by Jefferson to open up an eight-point lead with just under four minutes remaining.
 
The Cowgirls fought back to within three, but Jefferson's 3-pointer with 58 seconds left was the dagger the Huskies needed to close out the road win.
 
HBU got out to a quick start, leading 17-11 in the first period, but McNeese closed out the frame with an 8-0 run to lead 22-19. The Cowgirls led, 27-23, in the second, but the Huskies ripped off a nine-point run to take a five-point lead with 3:35 left in the half. Chamberlin hit a three to put the Cowgirls up by two late, then Jefferson answered with a layup to tie. Gil then made a layup at the buzzer to give McNeese a 37-35 advantage heading into halftime.
 
In the third, the Cowgirls led by as many as six at 47-41 and the Huskies still trailed by five at 53-48 with 2:41 to go in the quarter. HBU then scored the last eight points of the period, including back-to-back 3-pointers by sophomore guard Enya Maguire to take a 56-53 lead into the final frame.
 
The Huskies return to action when they hit the road to take on UIW Thursday in San Antonio.