LAKE CHARLES—Following a 12-day break for finals, McNeese women's basketball returns to the hardwood on Saturday with a road contest at C-USA preseason favorite Alabama-Birmingham. Tipoff is set for 2 pm. and the game can be seen on CUSA TV. Fans may also follow live stats or listen to the game on the McNeese Radio Network (1470/1290 AM) and also online. All links can be found on the McNeese website homepage-mcneesesports.com
 
McNeese (0-6) is still attempting to get into the win column and will go up against a UAB team that is 7-1 on the season. It will be the second straight game against a CUSA opponent for McNeese following a 93-65 loss at Rice on Nov. 25, the Cowgirls last game played before breaking for finals.
 
UAB returns four starters from last year's C-USA Championship team. The Blazers lone blemish this season was a 73-69 overtime loss to then No. 11 Tennessee at the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas on Nov. 24. Since that lost UAB has won its last three game including a 66-41 win over Samford Wednesday night.
 
Redshirt freshman Callie Maddox continues to lead McNeese in scoring (14.3 ppg.) and has scored in double figures in five of the six games this season. Freshman Divine Tanks leads the Cowgirls in rebounds (11.4 rpg.) and steals (1.4). Tanks has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in three games.
 
The Cowgirls will have a full squad against UAB with Tanks and Raya Haynes returning from injuries. Sophomore Bre'Ashlee will join the squad after having missed the first six games. Jones returns as the Cowgirls leading scorer (7.6 ppg.) and rebounder (6.9 rpg.) from a year ago.
 
It's the third meeting between the two teams with each team claiming one victory apiece. The Blazers defeated the Cowgirls 56-53 in 2008 in the first meeting between the two teams. McNeese evened the overall record with a 61-56 overtime win in the Preseason WNIT in Lake Charles in 2011.