Wells scores 27 and McNeese beats Nicholls 92-76 for its first NCAA Tournament berth in 22 years
LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) Shahada Wells scored 27 points and McNeese beat Nicholls 92-76 on Wednesday to win the Southland Conference Tournament and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002 with its 30th victory this season.
Wells, the conference player of the year, had three 3-pointers and was 12 of 13 from the line for the top-seeded Cowboys (30-3), who won their 11th straight game and finished 18-0 on their home court. Wells also scored 27 points in a 76-57 semifinal win over Lamar.
The NCAA bid comes a season after McNeese went 11-23. Will Wade was hired as coach a year ago after spending a year out of college basketball. He was cited for recruiting violations by the NCAA while at LSU, which fired him in 2022. Wade had to serve a 10-game “show cause” suspension to open this season.
“It's a tremendous day for our guys, our program, everyone involved in Lake Charles and McNeese," Wade said. "I'm so happy for everybody. I don't know what to say. I mean today we tied the largest turnaround in college basketball history. We turned this thing around by 19 games, these guys. It's incredible.”
DJ Richards Jr., with four from the arc, added 16 points, including 12 in the first half when he combined with Wells for 29 points and McNeese took a 48-32 lead. Javohn Garcia scored 14 of his 19 points in the second half. Christian Shumate added 11 points including a couple of thunderous second-half dunks.
Diante Smith scored a career-high 33 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including five 3-pointers, to lead the third-seeded Colonels (20-14), who lost by a combined 64 points in three matchups with the Cowboys this season. Robert Brown III added 13 points and Jamal West Jr. 11.
McNeese led by double figures from the seven-minute mark of the first half. The Colonels got within 12 with four minutes left in the game but the Cowboys scored five straight points punctuated by a Shumate dunk.
Antavion Collum and Wells hit 3-pointers in the first minute and McNeese led throughout. Smith scored six points in a 10-2 run to get Nicholls within a point but the Cowboys then scored the next 13, including six straight from Wells, on their way to a 16-point halftime lead.
--- Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here --- AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Copyright 2024 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Jamal West Jr. vs. Christian Shumate (Cowboys gains possession) | |||
19:34 | +3 | Antavion Collum makes three point jump shot (Christian Shumate assists) | 0-3 | |
19:20 | Quinn Strander turnover (back court violation) | |||
19:07 | +3 | Shahada Wells makes three point jump shot (Omar Cooper assists) | 0-6 | |
18:55 | Byron Ireland turnover (bad pass) (Javohn Garcia steals) | |||
18:41 | Shahada Wells misses three point pullup jump shot | |||
18:39 | Byron Ireland defensive rebound | |||
18:24 | Diante Smith misses two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot | |||
18:22 | Omar Cooper defensive rebound | |||
18:15 | Byron Ireland shooting foul (Javohn Garcia draws the foul) | |||
18:15 | Javohn Garcia misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
18:15 | +1 | Javohn Garcia makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 0-7 | |
17:57 | Quinn Strander misses three point jump shot | |||
17:55 | Diante Smith offensive rebound | |||
17:55 | Antavion Collum personal foul (Diante Smith draws the foul) | |||
17:41 | Jamal West Jr. turnover (lost ball) (Shahada Wells steals) | |||
17:32 | Antavion Collum turnover (bad pass) (Byron Ireland steals) | |||
17:18 | +3 | Diante Smith makes three point jump shot (Michael Gray Jr. assists) | 3-7 | |
17:08 | Michael Gray Jr. personal foul | |||
17:07 | Shahada Wells turnover (bad pass) (Jamal West Jr. steals) | |||
16:55 | Robert Brown III misses three point jump shot | |||
16:53 | Antavion Collum defensive rebound | |||
16:42 | Michael Gray Jr. shooting foul (Javohn Garcia draws the foul) | |||
16:42 | +1 | Javohn Garcia makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 3-8 | |
16:42 | +1 | Javohn Garcia makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 3-9 | |
16:23 | +2 | Diante Smith makes two point pullup jump shot | 5-9 | |
16:07 | Diante Smith personal foul (Javohn Garcia draws the foul) | |||
16:04 | +3 | DJ Richards Jr. makes three point jump shot (Antavion Collum assists) | 5-12 | |
15:35 | +2 | Robert Brown III makes two point floating jump shot | 7-12 | |
15:17 | Diante Smith shooting foul (DJ Richards Jr. draws the foul) | |||
15:17 | TV timeout | |||
15:17 | +1 | DJ Richards Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 3 | 7-13 | |
15:17 | +1 | DJ Richards Jr. makes regular free throw 2 of 3 | 7-14 | |
15:17 | +1 | DJ Richards Jr. makes regular free throw 3 of 3 | 7-15 | |
14:56 | CJ Felder blocks Byron Ireland's two point layup | |||
14:54 | Robert Brown III offensive rebound | |||
14:50 | Javohn Garcia personal foul (Robert Brown III draws the foul) | |||
14:41 | +3 | Diante Smith makes three point jump shot (Byron Ireland assists) | 10-15 | |
14:15 | Javohn Garcia misses two point layup | |||
14:13 | Christian Shumate offensive rebound | |||
14:11 | +2 | Christian Shumate makes two point putback layup | 10-17 | |
13:43 | +2 | Byron Ireland makes two point layup (Robert Brown III assists) | 12-17 | |
13:16 | Byron Ireland shooting foul (Shahada Wells draws the foul) | |||
13:16 | +1 | Shahada Wells makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 12-18 | |
13:16 | +1 | Shahada Wells makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 12-19 | |
12:59 | Diante Smith misses three point stepback jump shot | |||
12:58 | Mekhi Collins offensive rebound | |||
12:58 | DJ Richards Jr. personal foul (Mekhi Collins draws the foul) | |||
12:52 | Robert Brown III misses three point jump shot | |||
12:50 | Shahada Wells defensive rebound | |||
12:42 | Shahada Wells misses two point floating jump shot | |||
12:40 | Mekhi Collins defensive rebound | |||
12:11 | Byron Ireland misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
12:09 | Jamal West Jr. offensive rebound | |||
12:06 | Jump ball. (Colonels gains possession) | |||
11:51 | Jamal West Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
11:49 | Mekhi Collins offensive rebound | |||
11:46 | Colonels turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
11:46 | TV timeout | |||
11:40 | +2 | Javohn Garcia makes two point layup | 12-21 | |
11:11 | +3 | Diante Smith makes three point jump shot (Byron Ireland assists) | 15-21 | |
10:40 | +2 | Mike Saunders Jr. makes two point layup (Antavion Collum assists) | 15-23 | |
10:15 | Javohn Garcia shooting foul (Robert Brown III draws the foul) | |||
10:15 | Robert Brown III misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
10:15 | +1 | Robert Brown III makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 16-23 | |
9:45 | Christian Shumate misses two point jump shot | |||
9:43 | Mekhi Collins defensive rebound | |||
9:36 | +2 | Diante Smith makes two point driving bank jump shot | 18-23 | |
9:36 | Christian Shumate shooting foul (Diante Smith draws the foul) | |||
9:36 | +1 | Diante Smith makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 19-23 | |
9:19 | DJ Richards Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
9:17 | Diante Smith defensive rebound | |||
9:08 | +3 | Jamal West Jr. makes three point jump shot (Diante Smith assists) | 22-23 | |
8:45 | +3 | Antavion Collum makes three point jump shot (Mike Saunders Jr. assists) | 22-26 | |
8:10 | Diante Smith misses three point jump shot | |||
8:08 | Colonels offensive rebound | |||
7:51 | Diante Smith misses two point jump shot | |||
7:49 | CJ Felder defensive rebound | |||
7:42 | +2 | Shahada Wells makes two point driving layup (Antavion Collum assists) | 22-28 | |
7:41 | Jamal West Jr. shooting foul (Shahada Wells draws the foul) | |||
7:41 | TV timeout | |||
7:41 | +1 | Shahada Wells makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 22-29 | |
7:30 | Robert Brown III misses three point jump shot | |||
7:28 | Jamal West Jr. offensive rebound | |||
7:28 | CJ Felder personal foul (Jamal West Jr. draws the foul) | |||
7:26 | Byron Ireland turnover (bad pass) (Javohn Garcia steals) | |||
7:08 | +3 | Shahada Wells makes three point jump shot (Javohn Garcia assists) | 22-32 | |
6:33 | Michael Gray Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
6:31 | Javohn Garcia defensive rebound | |||
6:18 | +2 | CJ Felder makes two point cutting layup (Shahada Wells assists) | 22-34 | |
6:13 | Colonels 30 second timeout | |||
5:48 | Jamal West Jr. turnover (bad pass) (Shahada Wells steals) | |||
5:18 | Mike Saunders Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
5:16 | Jamal West Jr. defensive rebound | |||
5:08 | Diante Smith turnover (bad pass) (Omar Cooper steals) | |||
4:55 | Mike Saunders Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
4:53 | Cowboys offensive rebound | |||
4:42 | Antavion Collum misses three point jump shot | |||
4:40 | Mike Saunders Jr. offensive rebound | |||
4:38 | +2 | Mike Saunders Jr. makes two point layup | 22-36 | |
4:24 | Jamal West Jr. misses two point layup | |||
4:22 | Antavion Collum defensive rebound | |||
4:04 | Shahada Wells turnover (lost ball) (Michael Gray Jr. steals) | |||
3:58 | DJ Richards Jr. shooting foul (Byron Ireland draws the foul) | |||
3:58 | TV timeout | |||
3:58 | +1 | Robert Brown III makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 23-36 | |
3:58 | +1 | Robert Brown III makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 24-36 | |
3:40 | Shahada Wells misses three point jump shot | |||
3:38 | Christian Shumate offensive rebound | |||
3:31 | +3 | DJ Richards Jr. makes three point jump shot (Christian Shumate assists) | 24-39 | |
3:20 | +2 | Byron Ireland makes two point driving reverse layup | 26-39 | |
2:55 | +3 | DJ Richards Jr. makes three point jump shot (Mike Saunders Jr. assists) | 26-42 | |
2:28 | Robert Brown III turnover (lost ball) (Antavion Collum steals) | |||
2:22 | Michael Gray Jr. personal foul (Christian Shumate draws the foul) | |||
2:22 | Christian Shumate misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
2:22 | Jamal West Jr. defensive rebound | |||
1:59 | Christian Shumate personal foul (Diante Smith draws the foul) | |||
1:59 | +1 | Diante Smith makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 27-42 | |
1:59 | +1 | Diante Smith makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 28-42 | |
1:30 | Shahada Wells misses two point layup | |||
1:28 | CJ Felder offensive rebound | |||
1:24 | CJ Felder turnover (bad pass) | |||
1:05 | Diante Smith misses three point jump shot | |||
1:03 | Shahada Wells defensive rebound | |||
1:03 | Mekhi Collins personal foul (Shahada Wells draws the foul) | |||
1:03 | +1 | Shahada Wells makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 28-43 | |
1:03 | +1 | Shahada Wells makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 28-44 | |
0:45 | Jamal West Jr. turnover (bad pass) (Shahada Wells steals) | |||
0:40 | +2 | Shahada Wells makes two point driving layup | 28-46 | |
0:28 | +2 | Mekhi Collins makes two point dunk (Quinn Strander assists) | 30-46 | |
0:26 | Cowboys 30 second timeout | |||
0:05 | Mekhi Collins personal foul (Shahada Wells draws the foul) | |||
0:05 | +1 | Shahada Wells makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 30-47 | |
0:05 | +1 | Shahada Wells makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 30-48 | |
0:01 | +2 | Byron Ireland makes two point driving dunk | 32-48 | |
0:00 | End of period |