LAKE CHARLES – Rivals will collide with a lot at stake on Saturday afternoon when McNeese hosts Lamar in Southland Conference basketball action with just three weeks remaining in the season.
 
The game will follow a women's game between the two that begins at 1 p.m. at Burton Coliseum.
 
McNeese (6-17, 4-9 SLC) and Lamar (10-15, 2-11) are battling for a spot in the 8-team conference tournament. The Cowboys are currently in a tie for seventh place with Northwestern State while Lamar is in last place but just two games behind McNeese and NSU for the last spot.
 
Meanwhile Nicholls (3-9 SLC), who the Cowboys play next Saturday, is sitting just a half-game behind McNeese in the standings.
 
All that points to how important it is for the Cowboys to not only win on Saturday but to also win their following two home games as well.
 
"We have to get these games at home," said head coach Dave Simmons. "We slipped up against Southeastern the other day. Now we need to finish strong."
 
McNeese dropped a 79-76 overtime loss to SLU this past Monday, a game where the Cowboys led by as many as 13 points in the second half but also missed out on 11 points from the free throw line.
 
Lamar, who is coached by former McNeese head coach Tic Price, has lost eight straight games including a last second, 79-78 loss at Houston Baptist on Monday.
 
The Cardinals are led in scoring by true freshman guard Nick Garth's 14.6 scoring average.
 
Like the Cowboys, Lamar will start two true freshmen in its lineup on Saturday.
 
McNeese junior guard Jamaya Burr continues to lead the team in scoring and will carry a 14.8 mark into Saturday's game. Craig McFerrin follows with a 10.3 scoring average and a team-high 7.8 rebounding average.
 
In league games only, Burr is averaging 14.8 points while James Harvey is putting up 13.5 per game.
 
Saturday's game will be the 98^th all-time meeting between the two teams with Lamar holding a slight 51-46 edge in the series. The Cowboys have had the upper hand lately by winning four of the last five meetings. An even more impressive streak being McNeese has won 15 straight against Lamar in Lake Charles. The last Cardinals' win in the lake city came in the 1997-98 season.
 
After Saturday's game, the Cowboys will get ready for Monday night's game against Central Arkansas in Burton Coliseum.