LAKE CHARLES – McNeese will be looking to shoot its way to its first season sweep over Northwestern State since the 2008-09 season when the Cowboys host the Demons in the second half of a Southland Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Burton Coliseum.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. or 30 minutes following the conclusion of a women's basketball game between the two schools.
 
The Cowboys (6-11, 3-3 SLC) are looking to jump back over the .500 mark in conference play since starting the season at 2-0. McNeese snapped a 3-game losing streak this past Wednesday in an 82-72 win over Central Arkansas in the most complete 40 minutes played on the season.
 
McNeese opened the game up making its first six shots and was consistent the entire night, hitting 49 percent from the field, a high in conference games. The team sank a season-high 12 three-pointers in the game and dished out 23 assists on 32 made shots.
 
"That's a stat I'm really excited to see," said head coach Dave Simmons. "When you're getting that many assists that means you're getting the ball to the open shooter and the shooter is getting good looking shots."
 
McNeese defeated Northwestern State (7-9, 1-4 SLC) 79-72 in overtime back on New Year's Eve to open the conference season in Natchitoches. The Demons, who are without top scorer Zeek Woodley as well as contributor Malik Metoyer, are coming off a 77-68 home loss to Sam Houston State a week ago.
 
Simmons, who has a close friend relationship with Demons' head coach Mike McConathy, knows the Demons are still a very dangerous team.
 
"They have some very good talent and a lot of athleticism," said Simmons. "We're going to have to play very well to be successful."
 
McNeese changed up its lineup against UCA and it seemed like the formula worked. Simmons is expected to go with the same starting five on Saturday consisting of Jamaya Burr, Jarren Greenwood, Kaleb Ledoux, Lance Potier and Stephen Ugochukwu.
 
Burr (11.4 ppg), Ledoux (10.4) and Greenwood (10.3) are all averaging in double-figures for the season. Ledoux is coming off a career-high game of 17 points against UCA where he knocked down 5 of 10 from 3-point range.
 
Burr and Greenwood, who rank 1-2 on the team in assists, put together a 16:2 assist:turnover ratio against the Bears.
 
NSU is led in scoring by SAbri Thompson's 11.8 points and as a team, NSU is tops in the league in scoring offense in league games only with 77.6 points scored per game, making this the second straight game the Cowboys will face the conference's top-scoring team in SLC games only.
 
Saturday's game will be the 122^nd meeting between the two schools with McNeese holding a 62-59 edge in the series.