McNeese’s sixth-year veteran Javohn Garcia delivered a spectacular performance, scoring a personal-best 31 points to lead the second-seeded Cowboys to a dominant 76-59 victory over top-seeded Stephen F. Austin in the Southland Conference championship game, securing their third consecutive tournament title and automatic bid to March Madness.
Garcia was nearly unstoppable, connecting on 11 of his 18 field goal attempts and sinking 5 of 8 three-point shots as McNeese (28-5) controlled the game from start to finish, maintaining their lead throughout while pushing their winning streak to 10 games. Supporting Garcia’s stellar effort, Larry Johnson contributed 18 points while Tyshawn Archie delivered a well-rounded performance with 17 points, five assists, and five steals.
For Stephen F. Austin (28-5), Keon Thompson led the scoring with 18 points, while Kam Burton chipped in 10 points. The Lumberjacks struggled offensively, shooting just 37.3% from the field and managing only 5 of 21 three-point attempts (23.8%). The two teams had split their regular-season meetings.
In Patriot League action, second-seeded Lehigh captured their first NCAA Tournament berth in over a decade with a convincing 74-60 triumph over fourth-seeded Boston University. Nasir Whitlock spearheaded a well-distributed offensive effort with 18 points for the Mountain Hawks.
Lehigh (18-16) received strong contributions across the roster, with Joshua Ingram and Edouard Benoit each adding 15 points, while Hank Alvey recorded 14 points alongside a game-leading nine rebounds and five assists. The Mountain Hawks established control early and maintained a double-digit advantage for the final 13 minutes and 20 seconds.
Boston University (17-17) was paced by Ben Defty’s 21 points and eight rebounds, with Michael McNair adding 14 points and Chance Gladden contributing 11. Despite entering the contest ranked fifth nationally in three-point shooting percentage at 40.0%, the Terriers experienced a cold shooting night from beyond the arc, converting just 1 of 16 three-point attempts.
