LAKE CHARLES – The Cowboys are back on the road this weekend, this time taking to the air as they travel to North Carolina Central on Thursday to face the Eagles in a mid-week match up. Tip-off at McDougald-McLendon Arena in Durham, NC is slated for 6:00PM (CT).
North Carolina Central (4-8) will be hosting McNeese (2-5) after three consecutive losses, its most recent defeat coming from Grand Canyon University (Dec.11). The Eagles fell to GCU 64-59 after rallying back to come within one point of the lead with 2:10 on the clock. From there, GCU would draw multiple NCCU fouls- leading them to victory.
NCCU is currently 3-1 at home, claiming wins against Warren Wilson, Southern University, and Christendom College last month.
The Eagles are currently led by redshirt-junior Raasean Davis. The 6'9 center from Chicago is averaging 15.6 points per game, earning him seventh amongst other MEAC players. Davis also leads his team in rebounds, pulling down 7.4 per game, Davis' work on the board is ranks him fourth in the conference.
McNeese will be traveling to Durham after a loss in Denton last Saturday (Dec.9). The Cowboys took the biggest hit of the season, after dropping falling 85-47 to North Texas.
Senior Stephen Ugochukwu posted his third-straight game with double-digit scoring, but his 16 points and nine rebounds were not enough for McNeese to compete in the Super Pit that night.
The Cowboys top scorers Kalob Ledoux (12.1 ppg) and Jarren Greenwood (11.6 ppg) will look to bounce back after the duo was held to only three combined points at UNT.
Newcomer Quatarrius Wilson continues to be a force on the court for McNeese- leading in rebounds per game (8.0) and shooting percentage from the field (53.85%).
With Wilson in play, McNeese hopes to continue to build upon its strong rebounding foundation- one that averages nearly 40 rebounds per game. The improvement on the glass from the 2016-17 season is one of the top five greatest in the nation.
Thursday's meeting will only be the second between the teams. The first meeting came in December of 2016, when NCCU took down McNeese with a 21-5 run mid-way through the second half.
The Cowboys dropped the game 74-66, despite leading 36-35 at the half. Both Kalob Ledoux and Jarren Greenwood did their part in the contest, scoring 11 and 15 points respectively.
After its game in Durham, McNeese will travel even further north to Pittsburgh, for a Saturday game against the Panthers.
Links to live stats can be found on McNeeseSports.com. Fan's are encouraged to follow @McNeeseMBB on Twitter for live in-game updates and all things regarding Cowboy Basketball.
