LAKE CHARLES — Rivalry games have a habit of going down to the wire.

Lamar’s rivalry game Saturday afternoon matched its closest win of the season.

Moe Kinard secured the offensive rebound after Chastadie Barrs missed the second of two free throws with 1.2 seconds to go, allowing Lamar to run out the clock for a 64-62 win over McNeese State in the latest Border of the Battle game at McNeese’s new Health and Human Performance Complex.

“This is going to be a hard place to play,” Cardinals coach Robin Harmony said. “We knew they won three games in a row. They have a great crowd. It’s really loud in here, and we have to keep our composure.”

The win is the 23rd in a row in Southland Conference play for the Cardinals, and it was contested before 2,201 fans.

All of Lamar’s win in Southland play had been determined by 11 or more points. The Cards opened the season beating Louisiana 79-77 in overtime on Nov. 6.

Kinard totaled 22 points, two steals and three rebounds. Miya Crump added 13 points, three steals, three assists and seven rebounds in the win.

A 14-point lead for Lamar (16-4, 9-0 Southland) with 4:33 to go in the third quarter quickly vanished as McNeese (5-14, 3-5) surged to a 55-54 lead with 5:51 remaining. The game was tied four times and the lead changed only three times.

“When we called a timeout, I said, ‘Come on, guys, we’re No. 1 in our conference. We have to settle down and play like that,'” Cardinals coach Robin Harmony said. “We were starting to lose our composure. And then, we got a couple of those steals. That gave us buckets.

“We really haven’t been in this situation very often. We were finally in it. Luckily, we learned from it and still got the W.”

Barrs was held to nine points, six assists, three assists and three steals, but the senior point guard — who remains third all-time in the NCAA in steals — nailed two free throws with 1:41 left.

A foul against Damilola Balogun following her defensive rebound with 51 seconds to go gave Lamar possession with a two-point lead. Kinard missed a jumper, but Rikiah Cowart scooped up the offensive board and drew the foul against Callie Maddox. Cowart made 1 of 2.

The Cowgirls settled for a Divine Tanks drive to the hole with 6 seconds remaining, but Barrs managed to run the clock down to 1.2 seconds before being fouled. She made her first shot and missed the second, only for Kinard to grab the winning offensive board.

Regan Bolton had 23 points and three rebounds, and Maddox 15 points and four rebounds for the Cowgirls.

Lamar led 19-13 through one quarter, 39-30 at halftime and 53-47 after three periods. The Cardinals shot 20 for 53 from the floor (37.7 percent), including 7 of 26 from three-point range (26.9), and made 17 of 24 free throws (70.8).

McNeese was hotter from the floor — 20 for 41 (48.8 percent), including 8 for 18 from three (44.4), and 14 for 18 in free throws (77.8).

Saturday’s game was the first of a four-game road swing for the Cardinals, who will travel to Abilene Christian on Wednesday, Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 9 and Northwestern State on Feb. 13.

•

I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews