KATY, Texas – McNeese's men's hoop squad has saved its best basketball for when it matters the most as the No. 6 seeded Cowboys will look to extend their longest winning streak of the season when they take on 7th-seed Nicholls Wednesday night in the first round of the 2016 Southland Conference Men's Basketball Tournament here at the Leonard E. Merrell Center.

The game, which carries a 7:30 p.m. tip-off, will be broadcast live on Cajun Radio (1470/1290 AM and CajunRadio.com) and also streamed on ESPN3 on the internet.

McNeese (9-19) and Nicholls (10-22) are each entering the single-elimination tournament on three-game winning streaks.

"Winning our last three basketball games, the last two on the road, we're pretty pleased heading into the tournament," said head coach Dave Simmons who is making his eight appearance in the postseason in 10 years at McNeese. "This is a new season for us. Everyone is zero and zero. I keep telling our guys it's a one game season now."

McNeese will be making its league-record 29th appearance in the postseason tournament and has compiled a 24-27 record including a 3-1 mark against Nicholls with three straight wins. 

The Cowboys are 16-9 in first round games and 5-2 under Simmons. Last year the Cowboys defeated Southeastern Louisiana 62-60 in overtime in the first round before falling to Northwestern State by 7 in the second round. The last time McNeese faced Nicholls in the tournament was in the 2013 first round when the Cowboys, playing as the No. 8 seed, knocked off the No. 5 Colonels 62-59.

McNeese will stick with the same starting lineup its put on the floor the last eight games, led by junior point guard Jamaya Burr who was named to the third team all-Southland Conference squad on Monday. Burr leads the team with 15.2 points and 3.6 assists per game.

"He's been playing really well lately," said Simmons of Burr. "We go as he goes, especially when he's got a good assist to turnover ratio."

The Ruston native has been much better in that area the last four games with 19 assists and nine turnovers as the Cowboys posted a 3-1 record during that stretch, including three straight to end the regular season.

He's stepped aside as the team's top scorer in recent games to freshmen James Harvey and Jarren Greenwood.

Harvey, who's second on the team in scoring with a 10.8 average, is coming off a 31-point game in an 85-77 win at Central Arkansas in the regular season finale. He became the program's first freshman in 33 years to score 30 or more in a game. He leads the team with 59 three-point goals made and has netted five or more in a game three different times.

Greenwood, a native of Houston, is averaging 10.4 points a game and led the team with 19 points in a 77-74 win at Lamar last Monday. He scored 15 points in 22 minutes at UCA last Saturday before leaving the game with 16 minutes remaining after suffering a foot injury. He's expected to be in the lineup on Wednesday.

"These two guys have really come on strong since the start of conference play," said Simmons. "They have tremendous scoring capabilities. Usually when one is having a good night the other's isn't as good. If we can ever get them playing good on the same night it could be really special for our team.

"Then we have two seniors, Craig McFerrin and Austin Lewis, who have been doing a really good job lately in rebounding and on defense."

McFerrin ranks second in the league in rebounding with 8.0 boards per game while Lewis is seventh with 1.3 blocks per game.

McNeese and Nicholls split the season series this year, the Colonels posting a 71-56 win in Thibodaux while the Cowboys recorded a 71-69 overtime win in Lake Charles.

The winner of the game will advance to play No. 3 seed Sam Houston State in Thursday's second round at 7:30.