The Cowgirls were certainly ready for the Demons this time around.

McNeese State blitzed Northwestern State in a flurry of three-pointers for an 80-54 win Sunday afternoon at Lake Charles Civic Center. McNeese (12-9, 7-3 Southland) is on a season-long four-game winning streak.

“At their place, we really let them loose to make great plays,” said McNeese coach Brooks Donald Williams. “It started with our defensive effort. We made them uncomfortable. We controlled the tempo of what they did and what we did much better.”

The Cowgirls shot 56 percent (14 of 25) from three-point range, with Ashyln and Caitlyn Baggett going a combined 9-for-12 behind the arc.

“We had a little more urgency offensively,” Donald Williams said. “At their place we were so slow even cutting to get open. We really attacked tonight and got some great looks.”

The storyline couldn’t be more different than when Northwestern beat McNeese 64-62 in the conference opener on Jan. 3. That game marked the first time both Baggett twins were held in single figures in their careers.

“We feel like a totally different team,” Caitlyn said. “We’re all coming together and meshing. I feel like we’re peaking at the right time. I feel we’re playing a lot more consistent; comparable to last year’s team.”

This time, Ashlyn and Caitlyn hit double figures by halftime. Cailtyn nailed all 5 of her shots, including three three-pointers for 13 first-half points. She didn’t take a shot in the second half with the Cowgirls leading comfortably.

Ashlyn tied Northwestern State center Jasmine Upchurch with a game-high 24 points.

The Cowgirls were proficient when it came to turning defense into points, scoring 19 off of Demon turnovers.

“We know we’re going to have great shooting games and bad shooting games,” Caitlyn said. “The factor that we always play is team defense, regardless of how we shoot.”

The Demons (7-13, 3-7) were 38.8 percent (19 of 49) from the field, while McNeese shot 50.9 percent (28 of 55).

Cecilia Okoye (11 points) and Allison Baggett (10 points) also finished in double figures for McNeese.

McNeese State women’s basketball coach Brooks Donald Williams. (American Press Archives)