LAKE CHARLES – The McNeese Cowboys will return home on Wednesday night at 6:30 against Central Arkansas to begin a mini-home stretch that will see it conclude on Saturday against New Orleans.
 
The Cowboys (7-18, 3-8 SLC) have lost five straight games, their longest skid of the season, and have played the last two contests without top scorer and rebounder Roydell Brown along with just fielding seven scholarship players and two walk-ons.
 
In Brown's absence, junior forward Sha'Markus Kennedy has had to step up and become more of a presence, and he's done so by averaging 15.5 points and 11.5 rebounds while averaging 35 minutes of action in the last two games.
 
Kennedy is coming off a 20-point game at Southeastern Louisiana last Saturday, and last Wednesday at Stephen F. Austin, pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds, the second-most in a conference game among all league players.
 
"He's really had to do a lot," said head coach Heath Schroyer. "He's the best rim protector we have. And on offense, he's been getting double and triple teamed."
 
Kennedy is third on the team in scoring with an 11.8 average while James Harvey, who will join Kennedy in the lineup, is averaging 12.3 points. Expected to round out the lineup will be Kevin Hunt (7.7 ppg, 3.1 apg), Trey Touchet (5.1 ppg, 2.8 apg), and Jarren Greenwood (6.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg).
 
The Bears will enter Wednesday's game 10-15 on the season and 5-7 in conference play and sitting in a tie for seventh place in the league standings with A&M-Corpus Christi and Houston Baptist.
 
UCA is coming off a 75-71 home loss to HBU on Saturday, and like the Cowboys, have dropped five consecutive games, this after winning four straight to pull into third place in the standings.
 
Seven-foot, sophomore center Hayden Koval is tied for the team lead at 12.6 points per game and tops the team while ranking second in the league with 52 total blocked shots.
 
Sophomore guard DeAndre Jones is also averaging 12.6 points while senior guard Thatch Unruh is sinking 11.8 per contest.
 
McNeese has won three straight in the series and holds a 14-8 all-time lead.
 
Wednesday's game will broadcast live on the McNeese Radio Network (Cajun Radio 1290/1470 AM and online at www.CajunRadio.com).