LAKE CHARLES – The McNeese Cowboys have put up some of its highest-scoring games of the season within the last 10 outings by scoring 75 points or more in seven of those.
The Cowboys may have to aim higher on Monday night when they host Central Arkansas at 7 in Burton Coliseum. That's because the Bears have scored more than 105 in two out of their last five games and 85 or more in three of those.
UCA (6-17, 5-8 SLC) is tied with Stephen F. Austin as the top scoring offense in the league in conference games only with an 81.8 points per game average. However, the Bears are ranked 12
th out of 13 teams by allowing 82.8 points to their opponents.
In 13 league games, UCA opponents have scored 90 or more five times and is coming off a 105-75 loss at Sam Houston State on Saturday. That loss coming just five days after the Bears torched the nets in a 107-94 win at Northwestern State.
The team's top scoring threat is sophomore Jordan Howard who leads the league in scoring in SLC games with a 23.6 average.
The Cowboys (6-18, 4-10 SLC) seemed to have gotten the best performances by their opponents the last three outings, all losses. Two of the three connected on 51 percent or more from the field including Lamar hitting 51.5 percent including 52.6 percent (10-16) from three point range in Saturday's game that saw the Cardinals hold off the Cowboys 87-76.
Jamaya Burr leads the team with 15.0 points per game and has scored 20 or more in three consecutive outings, including 20 against Lamar. Burr is also doing a better job of distributing the ball (6.0 assists per game) in the last three and had a season-high seven assists on Saturday.
Monday's game is the third of four straight home games. McNeese will host Nicholls on Feb. 27 to wrap up its home slate for the season before hitting the road to face Lamar (Feb. 29) and UCA (March 5).
Even with the loss on Saturday, the Cowboys are still in a tie for the seventh and eighth spot for the league postseason tournament. Nicholls sits a half-game behind the two while Lamar is one full game behind. UCA is ineligible to earn a berth into the tourney.
