McNeese walked into Burton Coliseum on Monday night in a fog that didn’t lift for the first half of its game with Texas Southern.

Maybe it was the early morning shootaround or the opponent which entered the contest with just a 3-7 record.

Whatever it was, the Cowgirls (6-5) broke from the haze some long-range shooting and exploded for a 43-point second half in their 74-70 win. It was McNeese’s final game before Southland Conference play begins Saturday.

Amber Donnes and Jalyn Johnson each set career-highs to lead the come-from-behind effort. Donnes came out hot and buried 5-of-7 threes to score a career-high 17 points while Johnson dished out 14 assists to eclipse her previous best.

But it took a while, with McNeese not regaining the lead until the 11:20 mark in the second half after Johnson hit a 3-pointer to give her team a 50-49 lead.

“I’m really proud of the way we fought through different runs,” head coach Brooks Donald Williams said. “There were some things we didn’t do well that Texas Southern really did well.”

TSU’s plan was obvious early, often doubling McNeese leading scorer Allison Baggett on the perimeter. Though she tied Donnes for the team-high in points, Baggett shot only 5-15 from the field.

“I’m just thankful for teammates that can come in and hit big shots,” Baggett said. “Jay hit huge shots and Amber knocked down all those threes. It was just a great team win overall.”

The win wasn’t without its warts, but the shooting wasn’t one of them, especially in the second half.

The Cowgirls hit 71.4 percent of its second-half threes and 10-18 overall.

“Amber just started off hot as can be,” Donald Williams said. “She really got us going.”

Donnes, who entered the game averaging 5.1 points per game, far exceeded that output.

“It was a good start (to the game),” she said. “Coming back from Christmas break, we were all ready for this part of the season. I think it’s good that we’re on the same page and just played hard.”

For McNeese, which enters conference play at home against Stephen F. Austin, the hard-fought win serves as a good barometer for what to expect.

“It was a great preparation night for us,” Donald Williams said. “Some of what they do is extremely similar to (Texas Southern). A lot of what they do is what we’re going to see on Saturday. We were excited about playing them.”The McNeese State University Cowgirls open their Southland season against pre-season favorite Stephen F. Austin Saturday at Burton Coliseum. (Rick Hickman)

Rick Hickman