LAKE CHARLES – Fresh off its dismantling of Stephen F. Austin's 26-game Southland Conference winning streak, the nation's longest, McNeese will return to Burton Coliseum on Thursday night in an attempt to topple preseason favorite Sam Houston State and to get to 3-0 to start league play for the first time since winning the first three in the 2010-11 SLC championship season.
Tip-off will follow a 5:30 contest between the Cowgirls and Bearkats.
McNeese (5-8, 2-0 SLC) won its second straight game after handing SFA a 69-54 loss on Monday night. It was the third win in four games for the Cowboys who are 2-0 to start conference play for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
Sam Houston State (9-6, 0-2) dropped a 67-65 heartbreaker at Central Arkansas in its last outing back on Dec. 31. The preseason favorite to win the league title opened up conference play with a 79-65 home loss to Houston Baptist.
McNeese's recent success has, in large part, been due to a jolt from the play of junior forward
Stephen Ugochukwu and senior guard/forward
Lance Potier.
Ugochukwu led all players with 18 points against SFA, marking the third time in four games he's scored 18 or more in a contest. And since he's returned from missing three full games due to an injury, the Lewsville, Texas native is averaging 14.5 points the last four games and 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds in two conference games.
Potier, the St. Martinville native, has been a force on the glass and on the floor, so-to-speak.
He tied a career-high with 11 rebounds against SFA, and the game prior at Northwestern State, hauled in nine rebounds.
He's become a pro at taking charges as well. At North Carolina State, he stepped in to take four hard shots and took three against the Demons. He did the same against Stephen F. Austin and will head into Thursday's game averaging 10 rebounds and 8.5 points in two league games.
Overall,
Jamaya Burr continues to lead the team in scoring with 11.9 points followed by
Jarren Greenwood's 10.3 mark.
SHSU has just one player scoring in double-digits on the season, that being second team preseason all-conference selection Dakarai Henderson's 11.1 clip.
McNeese leads the all-time series by a 37-29 including last year's 72-68 win over the Bearkats in Burton Coliseum.
