Diego Kapelan hit a school-record nine 3-pointers and scored a career-high 39 points to lead McNeese State to a 78-62 victory over Northwestern State on Saturday.
Patrick Richard added 20 points as the Cowboys (16-9, 8-4 Southland Conference) improved to 12-0 at home this season and took a one-game lead over Northwestern State (15-10, 7-5).
Kapelan, a senior, was 9 for 13 from the 3-point line to help break his previous high of 37 points, set on Feb. 18, 2009. He entered averaging 13.9 points.
Kapelan hit three 3-pointers in a span of 1:36 to key an 11-4 run and give the Cowboys a 58-48 lead with 6:42 left.
Another 3-pointer from Kapelan give McNeese State a 73-55 lead with 2:12 to play.
Devon Baker scored 21, Will Pratt had 15 and Louis Ellis added 13 for the Demons. William Mosley had 10 rebounds for Northwestern State, which beat McNeese State on Jan. 22.
