ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – McNeese will hit the hard court for its fifth game in 15 days when it visits New Mexico at 5 p.m. (CT) on Saturday.
The game will broadcast live on the Mountain West Network which is a free stream (www.themw.com).
McNeese (1-3) and New Mexico (3-0) are meeting for just the second time. The Lobos posted a 90-46 over the Cowboys in the early part of the 1998-99 season.
The Game:
• McNeese will continue its torrid pace to start the season on Saturday when it visits New Mexico for its fifth game in 15 days and fourth contest in the last eight days.
• McNeese and New Mexico have met just once before, that coming in the 1998-99 season when the Lobos posted a 90-46 win on Dec. 21, 1998.
• The Cowboys will enter the game ranked No. 1 in the Southland Conference in free throws made (62) FTs attempted (92), 3FG made (38), 3FG percentage (44.2), 3FG made per game (9.5), and total rebounds (142).
• Nationally, McNeese is No. 3 in total 3FG made and 20th in 3FG percentage.
• McNeese is coming off an 83-63 loss at Wisconsin on Wednesday night in a game that the Cowboys trailed by just three points, 37-34, at the half and led for much of the first half.
• The Cowboys had two players score in double-figures, led by Sha'Markus Kennedy with 20 points and A.J. Lawson with 10.
• Kennedy had 18 points in the first half on 5 of 7 shooting (8-10 at the FT line), but was held to just 1 of 2 in the second half as he battled double teams.
• Three players are averaging double-figures in scoring on the season - Dru Kuxhausen at 15.0, Kennedy with 14.8 points and Lawson at 14.3.
CONTINUING THE LEGENDS CLASSIC
• Saturday's game will be the second of three games for the Cowboys as part of the 2019 Roman Legends Classic presented by Old Trapper.
• Wednesday's game at Wisconsin was the first game and next Saturday's contest at Richmond will be the third and final game.
KENNEDY GETTING TO THE LINE
• Sha'Markus Kennedy has been finding his way to the free throw line in the early going and ranks No. 1 in the NCAA with 30 free throw attempts.
• He connected on 8 of 10 from the line at Wisconsin, both team season highs, and has made 14 of 18 from the stripe over the last two games.
AIRING IT OUT FROM LONG RANGE
• McNeese has no shortage of three-point shooters this season with newcomers Dru Kuxhausen, Sam Baker and A.J. Lawson.
• Kuxhausen is No. 1 in the Southland Conference and 3rd in the NCAA with 15 three-point baskets made on the season and 2nd in the SLC and 9th nationally with 32 threes attempted.
• As a team, the Cowboys are 3rd nationally with 38 threes attempted and 20th with a 44.2 percentage from long range.
• Kuxhausen is also 2nd in the league and 37th in the NCAA with 3.75 threes made per game.
3FG RECORD FALLS VS. SUNO
• McNeese set a new single-game school record with 19 three-point shots made in a 104-33 win over Southern-New Orleans this past Monday.
• In that game, both Dru Kuxhausen and Sam Baker knocked down seven 3s each and combined to hit 14 of 19 from behind the arc.
• The previous school record was 15 while the individual record is nine.
• The Southland Conference record for 3s in a game is 21.
ORLINA MAKING A STRONG DEBUT
• Junior transfer Chris Orlina missed the first three games of the season but since making his debut on Monday, the forward has made quite a first impression.
• In two games, Orlina is 4-for-4 from the field, 2-2 from 3FG range and 6-7 at the free throw line.
• He pulled down 10 rebounds in his McNeese debut against SUNO on Monday and missed out on a double-double by one point as he finished with nine, and dished out a team season-high four assists.
• He scored 7 points and pulled down 3 rebounds at Wisconsin in his last outing.
