THIBODAUX – The McNeese Cowboys will take its third crack in a week to break out of its winless road slump when it visits Nicholls at 3:30 on Saturday to cap a three-game Southland Conference road trip.
The game will broadcast live on the McNeese Radio Network (Cajun Radio 1470 and 1290 AM and
www.cajunradio.com).
The Cowboys (5-14, 3-6 SLC) have dropped their last two games, both on the road, and will go into Saturday's game 0-11 away from home on the season. McNeese fell 76-64 at New Orleans last Saturday then dropped an 82-80 heartbreaker at Southeastern Louisiana on Monday in a game that featured a total of 21 three-point goals made and 104 combined points scored in the second half.
"We just need to get that first win on the road to get over the hump," said head coach
Dave Simmons. "We've been right there in just about all of our league games."
For the exception of the a league-opener loss at Stephen F. Austin, McNeese has led in the second half of its other eight conference games.
The Cowboys are starting to find its touch from the field as well, having made more than 42 percent of their shots in five of the last six games including nearly 50 percent at SLU on Monday. The Cowboys knocked down 11 threes in the game, the most made in a conference tilt, and hit 7 of 9 from long range in the second half.
Leading the way was true freshman
Jarren Greenwood who sank 9 of 12 from the field and 5 of 5 from 3-point range to finish with a season team-high of 28 points. Greenwood is averaging 11.8 points in league games only while hitting 51.7 percent (15 of 29) from long range.
Jamaya Burr tops the team in league scoring with 14.3 points. He's followed by
James Harvey at 12.7 ppg and
Craig McFerrin who's averaging 12 points and 8.7 rebounds in nine conference games.
Nicholls (5-18, 1-8 SLC) has dropped seven straight games since a 1-point win at home against Abilene Christian back on Jan. 9. But of those seven losses, only a couple have been by double-digits. The Colonels are 4-3 at home on the season and 1-3 in home conference games.
Junior guard Ja'Danté Frye tops the team in scoring with a 14.5 average followed by senior guard T.J. Carpenter with a 12.5 mark.
Saturday's game will be the 83
rd meeting in the all-time series with McNeese holding a 47-35 advantage. Nicholls has won the last two games against the Cowboys played in Thibodaux, including last year's by a score of 70-59.
McNeese will return home following this game for a Feb. 11 meeting against UNO.
2015-16 Southland Conference Standings| Stephen F. Austin | 8-0 | 15-5 |
| Houston Baptist | 8-1 | 14-8 |
| Corpus Christi | 7-2 | 16-5 |
| Incarnate Word | 6-2 | 11-8 |
| Sam Houstno State | 7-3 | 12-11 |
| Abilene Christian | 5-4 | 10-12 |
| New Orleans | 4-5 | 8-12 |
| McNeese | 3-6 | 5-14 |
| Northwestern State | 3-7 | 6-14 |
| Southeastern La. | 2-6 | 4-17 |
| Central Arkansas | 2-6 | 3-15 |
| Lamar | 2-8 | 10-12 |
| Nicholls | 1-8 | 5-18 |
Saturday's ScheduleMcNeese at Nicholls, 3:30 p.m.
UNO at UCA, 4 p.m.
ACU at Southeastern La., 4 p.m.
UIW at Lamar, 4:30 p.m.
SFA at Houston Baptist, 7 p.m.
SHSU at AMCC, 7 p.m.
