LAKE CHARLES – McNeese's Southland Conference Tournament begins Saturday afternoon against Nicholls.
 
Not really, but that's how head coach Dave Simmons said his team is approaching the final home game of the season.
 
"I told the kids the tournament starts tomorrow (Saturday)," said Simmons. "That's the way we're looking at it. In a three game season, every game is a must win."
 
Tip-off will take place 30 minutes following the conclusion of a women's game between the two teams that begins at 1 p.m.
 
The Cowboys (6-19, 4-11 SLC) sit a half game ahead of the Colonels (7-21, 3-11) for the eighth and final spot in the conference tournament that begins on March 9 in Katy, Texas. A win and the Cowboys will be looking good at making the tourney despite playing their final two games on the road (at Lamar on Monday, at UCA on March 5). But a loss will have McNeese looking up from the bottom of a deep pit, one the Cowboys could have avoided in recent games.
 
"We have to get over that hump in the last five minutes of the game," said Simmons. "We have to push through that. We've gotten close but haven't been able to close the deal."
 
During the current four-game losing streak, the Cowboys have either been ahead or within five points of their opponent with five minutes to play. The same scenario has taken place in seven of the team's league losses this season.
 
"We know where we are and know what we need to do," said Simmons. "We just need to execute it."
 
McNeese will look to turn the page on what was perhaps its worst outing of the season at Nicholls on Feb. 6 in a 71-56 loss. In that game the Cowboys shot a season-low 32 percent in league games and trailed by as many as 22 points before closing the gap to end the game.
 
Junior guard Jamaya Burr leads the team in scoring at 15.1 points per game and continues to be the pace setter for the Cowboys. Burr has scored double-digits in the last five games and is averaging nearly six assists during that time.
 
Freshmen Jarren Greenwood (10.0 ppg) and James Harvey (9.8) follow Burr in scoring while Craig McFerrin (9.8 ppg) leads the team with 7.8 rebounds per game.
 
Harvey's 49 three-point goals this season is ranked as the third-most in school history in a season by a freshman. He needs two more to pass Demond Mallet for the second most while Jason Coleman holds the freshman record with 70 made 3s.
 
The Colonels are led in scoring by Ja'Danté Frye's 13.3 points and T.J. Carpenter's 12.1 scoring average. Nicholls has dropped three straight games and is 0-16 away from home this season.
 
WORTH NOTING: McNeese four seniors – Shaun Johnson, Austin Lewis, Craig McFerrin and Matthew Moss – will be honored during a pregame ceremony. At halftime, the numbers of former Cowboy greats John Rudd (52) and the late Edmond Lawrence (40) will be honored with the revealing of their honored number banners.