LAKE CHARLES – Playing for just the third of four times in the month of January on Tuesday night against Abilene Christian, the McNeese basketball team will be hoping to get back to its winning ways in Burton Coliseum where it lost just two of seven games before the Southland Conference season began.
 
Tip-off against the Wildcats will be at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the McNeese Radio Network (Cajun Radio 1470/1290 AM). It's also a Coaches vs. Cancer game where the team's coaches will wear tennis shoes to help bring awareness to cancer research.
 
The Cowboys (6-9, 0-4 SLC) have lost both of their league games at home so far this season (vs. SFA and HBU), and has dropped four games overall, all Southland games.
 
But the season is still young and the Cowboys have proven they can play with the best of them in the league. The five-point loss to SFA is proof.
 
"We have a lot of the season left to play," said head coach Dave Simmons. "Obviously we'd like to be 4-0 but when you look at it, with the schedule we've had early on with games against Stephen F. Austin and at Sam Houston State, 2-2 and 1-3 is probably what a lot of people would think where we'd be. But that's no excuse.
 
"We've improved every game. We're getting there. Just waiting for it all to come together."
 
Getting a win over a tough ACU team will be pivotal as the Cowboys will hit the road once again on Saturday at Northwestern State then Monday at Incarnate Word. But the Wildcats (9-8, 3-1) will not be pushovers.
 
ACU won its first three league games, including an impressive 95-81 win at Northwestern State, and held a halftime lead on SFA before stumbling in the second half.
 
"They've got some shooters," said Simmons. "They shot the ball extremely well at Northwestern State and I remember they came in here last year and shot it really well.
 
"The key for us is to make our shots, especially the easy looks we're getting. We missed several of them at Sam Houston that could've made a difference in the game."
 
Desharick Guidry will lead the Cowboys into their last home game until Jan. 31, topping the team with 17.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.
 
Parker Wentz tops the Wildcats with a 13.9 scoring average.
 
This will be the only meeting between the two schools on the season. McNeese has won all four previous games in the series and won last year's game 95-91 in overtime which was also played in Burton Coliseum.