LAKE CHARLES – McNeese State will look to snap its three-game losing streak on Monday night when it hosts Southeastern Louisiana, a team the Cowboys beat by 13 points two weeks ago on the road.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Burton Coliseum. The game will be carried live on the McNeese Sports Network (Cajun Radio 1470/1290 AM; online at CajunRadio.com).
The Cowboys (9-14, 3-9 SLC) put up a great effort against Northwestern State on Saturday but faltered at the free throw line once again by missing 9 of their 23 attempts in the three point, 75-72 loss. McNeese also hit just 2 of 20 from three-point range, an area where the Cowboys have done a decent job the three games prior.
"When you shoot like we did at the free throw line and hit just 2 of 20 from long range, that's the difference maker right there," said head coach
Dave Simmons.
Desharick Guidry (17.5 ppg) and
Kevin Hardy (13.1 ppg) both scored over 20 for the Cowboys on Saturday and both pulled in double-double contests – Hardy with 24 points and 11 rebounds and Guidry with 20-13.
Jamaya Burr added 11 points but no other player scored more than five in the game.
"We've got to have guys step up and score some points," said Simmons. "Kevin and Desharick are seniors and they do what they're supposed to do. But if they're not on their game, others need to step it up."
Hardy and Guidry combined to hit 18 of the Cowboys' 28 field goals in the game and finished 18 of 35. The rest of the team went 10 of 44 from the floor.
McNeese seemed to have turned the corner on the season with its 73-60 win over the Lions in Hammond on Feb. 2. It was the team's second straight win and the first victory on the road in conference play.
Three players scored in double-figures in that game with two others netting 9 points. Guidry led with 19 points and 10 rebounds; Burr scored a career-high 17 points one game after scoring a career-high 16 points in a win over UNO;
Keelan Garrett added 14 points while Hardy and
Austin Lewis scored 9 each.
McNeese tied a season-high with 11 three-pointers in that game and had one of its better nights shooting at the free throw line making 86 percent.
Simmons made a slight lineup change against NSU by starting
Matthew Moss in place of an injured Lewis. Moss responded by playing a career-high 28 minutes and tied a career-high with five rebounds to go along with four points.
The Lions will come into Burton with an 8-16 overall record and 5-6 in Southland play. SLU hasn't lost since its defeat to the Cowboys and has won three straight, two of those on the road. The Lions are coming off a 65-59 win at Nicholls in their last outing.
Following Monday's game, the Cowboys will travel to face Lamar on Saturday then at Central Arkansas the following Tuesday before returning home with three games to close out the regular season.
