KATY, Texas--  McNeese women's basketball will open the women's side of the Southland Conference Tournament at 11 a.m. Thursday against Houston Baptist at the Merrell Center.
 
McNeese fans can purchase tickets at the Merrell Center if they haven't already done so.
 
First and second round games will be streamed live for free on the Southland Digital Network. The game can be heard live on Cajun Radio (1470/1290 AM) or cajunradio.com. Live stats will also be provided. All links can be found on the Southland Conference website (southland.org) or on the McNeese women's basketball schedule page on mcneesesports.com.
 
McNeese (17-12, 11-7 SLC) earned the fifth seed is making its 16^th overall tournament appearance. The appearance is also the seventh under eighth year head coach Brooks Donald Williams.  McNeese has a 12-5 conference tournament record under Williams' leadership.
 
The meeting against the No. 8 seed Houston Baptist (12-17, 6-12 SLC) will be the second of the season.  The two teams met over two months ago (Jan. 5) in the second game of conference play in Lake Charles. McNeese came away with a 60-57 win.
 
The Cowgirls enter the tournament having won five of their last seven games including a win over second seed Lamar, sixth seed Northwestern State, two over seventh seed Central Arkansas and one over Southeastern La.
 
All-Southland Conference performers Allison Baggett and Jayln Johnson will lead the Cowgirls into the tournament averaging 16.4 and 13.2 ppg., respectively. Baggett, a first team all-conference selection, ranks third in the lead in scoring. She also leads the conference with an 88.8 free throw shooting percent.
 
Johnson was named to the All-SLC second team has the best assist/turnover ratio in the league and ranks second in assists with 5.5 per contest. Johnson has been very productive on the offense as of late, scoring in double figures in 11 of the last 14 games.
 
Senior Talisa Boyd and freshman Frederica Haywood have handled the rebounding for the Cowgirls this season. Boyd has led McNeese in rebounding all season long and ranks ninth in the SLC with 7.5 per game. She also has a 47.1 field goal shooting percent.
 
Haywood is second on the team with 7.0 rpg. and leads McNeese with a 48.8 field goal shooting percent. She has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in six of the last eight games.
 
Houston Baptist is making their first SLC Tournament appearance and has lost five of their last eight games. The Huskies are coming off an 81-71 win over Incarnate Word in the final game of the season.  HBU has been without their leading scorer and rebounder (Shanice Steenholdt) who suffered an injury in January. Steenholdt was averaging 17.8 ppg. and 10.3 rpg. before the injury.
 
Rachel Arthur leads the team with 10.8 ppg. while Tayler Jefferson is averaging 10.5 ppg. Anna Strickland has picked up the rebounding slack and leads the team with 8.1 per game.
 
The winner will advance to play fourth seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 11 a.m. Friday.