SAN MARCOS, Texas – January 14, 2012 was the last time the McNeese Cowboys stepped foot into Texas State's Strahan Coliseum and came out with an 82-73 loss.
 
Nearly five years later the Cowboys return to the maroon and gold laid arena as they attempt to pull off a trifecta on Tuesday night – capture their first win against a Division I opponent, win on the road for the first time and put a winning streak together.
 
Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the McNeese Radio Network (Cajun Radio 1470 and 1290 AM and CajunRadio.com).
 
McNeese and Texas State will enter the game with identical 2-3 records. However, the Cowboys are coming off an 80-78 win over LSU-Alexandria while the Bobcats have dropped two straight, including a 73-69 loss to Southland Conference member Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Nov. 21 in their only other home game of the season.
 
Unlike the other two Division I games for the Cowboys – Purdue and Memphis – McNeese should be evenly matched up against the former Southland Conference and current Sun Belt league member Bobcats.
 
"The main thing we're going to have to do is rebound the ball," said head coach Dave Simmons whose team has been out-rebounded in four of five games this season. "They have a couple of 6-foot-8 guys on their team but they don't play much.
 
"Lance (Potier) and (LaBarrius) Hill are going to have to continue to play the way they did against LSUA."
 
In that game, the duo combined for 14 of the Cowboys' 36 rebounds after having to fill in for Stephen Ugochukwu, the team's rebounding leader who injured his hamstring early against Memphis. Ugochukwu will be a game time decision for Tuesday night but did participate in Monday night's practice.
 
"Having him back will be big," said Simmons of the 6-foot-7, 220-pound junior who was averaging 6.3 rebounds before his two minutes of action at Memphis dropped his average down to 4.8 per game.
 
Offensively, Simmons is ready to see James Harvey fire up the 3s like he did in his freshman season last year.
 
"He's going to start hitting, and when he does, that's going to be a big boost for our offense," said Simmons.
 
"Despite his woes from behind the arc, Harvey leads the team with 11 threes made but is making just 29 percent from long range.
 
Fellow sharpshooter Jarren Greenwood has taken over the team scoring lead at 13.0 points per game after a 19-point outing against LSUA in the team's last outing. Senior Jamaya Burr follows at 12.4 ppg and is ranked tied for second in the Southland Conference with 4.8 assists per game. Burr was ejected against LSUA with six minutes to play due to a Flagrant 2 foul, but he will not suffer a game suspension and is expected to be in the lineup on Tuesday.
 
If Ugochukwu is unable to play, Simmons said he could go with the same lineup he did against LSUA with Potier and Hill joining Burr, Greenwood and Harvey.
 
"We know they have a talented team and are very well coached," said Simmons of the Bobcats who are coached by former Stephen F. Austin head coach Danny Kaspar, now in his fourth season with Texas State. And just like his teams at SFA, Kaspar likes to control the tempo of his games to keep the score low.
 
"Rebounding and transition baskets are what we're going to have to do," said Simmons. "They do play a little faster than they have but our objective is to speed up the tempo."
 
McNeese leads the all-time series by a 32-19 margin and are 10-11 against the Bobcats in Strahan Coliseum.
 
Texas State held on to beat McNeese 70-67 last year in Lake Charles as the Cowboys rallied in the final minute with three straight 3-pointers by Burr to close the gap.
 
WORTH NOTING:
•  James Harvey has made at least one 3-pointer in 16 consecutive games dating back to last season.
•  Jarren Greenwood set career highs in last outing against LSUA in FT made (11) and FT attempted (13). At one point he made eight straight.
•  Jamaya Burr is averaging 6.0 assists per game the last three contests.
•  McNeese will be looking to snap an 8-game non-conference road losing streak on Tuesday. McNeese last non-conference win away from home came on Dec. 30, 2014 when the Cowboys whipped Mississippi State, 66-47.