PINEVILLE, La. – Hardin-Simmons' football team improved to 5-0 with a 42-21 win over Louisiana College in American Southwest Conference action at Wildcat Stadium in Pineville, La., on Saturday night.

The win was the first for the Cowboys in Pineville since 2008, snapping a four-game losing streak.

After a scoreless first quarter, thanks in part to two interceptions by Phillip Fuentes for the Cowboy defense, Ryan Breton hit Jaquan Hemphill on a 52-yard pass for a touchdown on the second play of the second quarter. After a stop by the defense, Shawn Williams scored a 1-yard touchdown to cap a 10-play 76-yard drive to give HSU a 14-0 lead.

LC answered with an 11-play 65-yard drive and Easton Melancon hit Nick Julien on a 5-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-7 with 3:06 to play in the second quarter.

In the third quarter the game changed on a couple of big special teams plays. First LC snapped a ball over the punters head that was headed out of the end zone for a safety but Garrett Martin made a sliding stop to get to the ball for a touchdown before it got out of the end zone.

Later in the quarter All-American punter Nico Francino got the Cowboys out of a hole with a huge 64-yard punt out of his own end zone to flip the field position battle.

The fourth quarter turned into a flurry of scoring. Melancon hit Lamar Carraway for a short gain, but he busted through a couple of tackles and sprinted 70 yards for a touchdown. The Cowboys answered right back when Alex Bell returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown.

HSU made it 42-14 when Martin scored on a 5-yard pass from Breton and Shedrick Davis scored on a 12-yard pass from Melancon with 7:36 to play to round out the scoring.

Breton was 11-for-18 for 153 yards in his return after missing last week with an injury.

Hemphill had 112 yards rushing and added the 52-yard TD catch. Garrett Martin had eight catches for 90 yards and a touchdown.

Melancon was 33-of-63 for 377 yards and three TDs for LC and Davis had 14 catches for 145 yards.

Cory Ward had another huge night with 14 tackles and he also forced a fumble, recovered a different fumble and broke up a pass. Josh White added 13 tackles. The Cowboys' defense had seven sacks in the game and forced five turnovers.

HSU is 5-0 and 2-0 in league play. LC fell to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in conference action. The Cowboys will host Howard Payne at 1:30 p.m. next Saturday as part of homecoming festivities.