LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP)—Diego Kapelan scored 25 points and Patrick Richard added 17 to lead McNeese State past Georgia State 68-62 on Tuesday night.
Kapelan scored 23 points in the first half, and Richard picked up the slack in the second with 11. Kapelan was 7 of 12 from the field.
The Cowboys (1-1) were 23 of 31 from the free-throw line (74.2 percent), compared to 59.3-percent shooting from the line (16 of 27) by the Panthers (0-1).
Richard made 10 of 12 free throws and Kapelan was 8-for-10.
McNeese State was outrebounded 34-26, but scored 19 points off 18 Georgia State turnovers.
The Panthers grabbed a 3-2 lead, but McNeese State took over from there to lead the rest of the way.
Harold Doby led Georgia State with 19 points and James Fields added 11. Eric Buckner tallied 12 rebounds for the Panthers.
