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Dylan Brewer's big shot gave the Wildcats the lead for good.

Louisiana College athletics photo

The Louisiana College men's basketball team pulled off an upset of Division I McNeese State on Tuesday night in Lake Charles, as the Wildcats took down the Cowboys by a final score of 73-70 in the debut game for first-year head coach Reni Mason.

It's the first win for a Division III school against a Division I opponent since 2013, when Wilmington defeated Miami (Ohio).

Junior guard Dylan Brewer's 3-pointer with 22 seconds left broke a 68-68 tie and gave LC their first lead since the 8:08 mark of the second half.

The Cowboys took a 40-36 lead into the locker room at halftime after shooting 17-for-33 (51.5 percent) from the field while holding the Wildcats to a 32.1% (9-for-28) clip from the field in the first 20 minutes. But the Wildcats found their rhythm on defense in the second half, allowing McNeese to just 30 points in the second half on 9-for-29 (31%) shooting from the field, including just 2-for-9 (22.2%) from beyond the three-point arc.

The Wildcats went 5-for-10 from beyond the arc in the second half, but ultimately won the game at the free throw line, making 28 of their 34 attempts from the charity stripe on the night and forcing 19 McNeese State turnovers.

Senior preseason All-American Anthony Gaines, Jr. led the Wildcats with 18 points, 15 rebounds, two blocks, and four steals. Raheem Regis (14 points, nine rebounds), Kevin Cottonham (14 points, five assists), and Dylan Brewer (13 points) also reached double figures in scoring for LC on the night.

It was the first game as head coach for Mason, who replaced 29-year head coach Gene Rushing at the helm this past offseason.

Division III-over-Division I upsets