LAKE CHARLES—After an 11-day Christmas break, the McNeese women's basketball team will return to the court Saturday, Dec. 31 to begin Southland Conference at Northwestern State in a 1 p.m. contest.
 
McNeese (5-6) will play its fifth and final road game since being on the road at TCU on December 11. The Cowgirls have also played a road game at UL-Monroe and games against Alabama and Pittsburgh at the Patrick Harrington Classic in Niceville, Florida before their Christmas break.
 
The Cowgirls were picked to finish fourth by the league SID's and fifth by the coaches in the preseason polls. The Lady Demons (6-5) were picked right behind the Cowgirls in each of the polls.
 
Natchitoches native and Cowgirl senior Victoria Rachal continues to lead McNeese in scoring with 10.5 ppg. McNeese is led in rebounding by Mercedes Rogers and Frederica Haywood who are bringing down 8.5 per game.
 
Rogers has been the most consistent player lately who has scored in double figures in three of the last four games including two double doubles. Haywood is on the verge of moving into the Top 5 in McNeese career rebounds. She enters the game with 608 career rebounds, two shy of moving into fifth place.
 
The Cowgirls enter the game averaging 74.6 ppg. which leads the league. McNeese also leads the league in rebounds, 3-pt. field goal percent defense. The Cowgirls are third in three-pointers made and have five players that have made 10 or more treys so far. Rachal and fellow senior Amber Donnes lead with 17 apiece.
 
Northwestern State is coming off a 106-30 road loss at no. 5 Mississippi State on Wednesday. The Lady Demons are 6-1 at home this season with its lone home loss being a 68-64 loss against Miss. Valley State on Nov. 25.
 
Beatrice Attura and Cheyenne Brown are both averaging in double digits. Attura leads the team with 16.9 ppg. and Brown is averaging 11.3 ppg. Brown also leads the team with 6.0 rpg.