McNeese Cowgirls (3-8) at Lamar Cardinals (6-5)
1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, Beaumont, Texas (Montagne Center)
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: CajunRadio 1470 AM
Live Stats
Series: McNeese leads 41-34
Last Meeting: Dec. 7, 2021 (Beaumont) Lamar won 88-76
 
LAKE CHARLES—McNeese women's basketball will open Southland Conference play at Lamar this Saturday, December 31 in the Battle of the Border.  Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Montagne Center.  The game will broadcast on ESPN+ and Bruce Merchant will have the call on Cajun Radio (1470 AM and
radio.net/s/cajun.
 
McNeese (3-8) was picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll while the Cardinals (6-5) were picked to finish fourth.
 
The Cowgirls are coming off a 66-47 road loss at Texas Tech on Dec. 19 before taking a break for the Christmas Holiday.  Lamar has won its last two games including a 60-51 home win over Texas A&M-Texarkana on Dec. 21.
 
GAME NOTES
- It's both teams Southland Conference Opener
- McNeese was picked to finish 6th in the preseason poll while Lamar was picked 4th
- McNeese will host the 2022-23 Jersey Mikes Southland Basketball Championship March 5-9 at the Legacy Center.  The men's tournament will run March 5-8 and the women's March 6-9.
- Cowgirls fell 66-47 at Texas Tech on Dec. 19 in their last game before the Christmas break.
- McNeese leads the all-time series against Lamar, 41-34
- Lamar has won the last 10 meetings
- The last McNeese win over Lamar was an 88-78 win on March 11, 2016 at the SLC Tourn.
- The last McNeese win in Beaumont was a 76-69 win on Feb. 24, 2016.
- Lamar defeated McNeese 88-76 on Dec. 7, 2021 in its only meeting last season.
- McNeese has had eight different scoring leaders in 11 games
- Zuzanna Kulinska has scored in double figures in the last four games and is coming off a 15 point game at Texas Tech.  Kulinska enters the game averaging 8.0 ppg.
- Paris Mullins is the only Cowgirl averaging in double figures with 11.1 ppg.
- Divine Tanks continues to lead the Cowgirls in rebounds with 5.7 per contest
 
Joe Dumars Day set for Jan. 5: 
- McNeese and Naismith Hall of Famer Joe Dumars will return to Lake Charles on January 5 when the Cowboys host Northwestern State and when McNeese State University will honor him with the naming of the Legacy Center basketball court - Joe Dumars Court.  
- Dumars, who played for the Cowboys from 1982-85, continues to hold numerous career records, including the all-time scoring champion with 2,607 points, setting that mark prior to the addition of the three-point line. 
- Below is a list of college and professional accolades Dumars has collected throughout his career: 
 
NBA  
2x NBA Champion  
6x NBA All-Star  
3x All-NBA  
5x NBA All-Defensive Team  
1985-86 1at Team NBA All-Rookie  
1985 NBA 1st Round Pick  
1989 NBA Finals MVP  
1994 World Championship Gold Medalist  
1994 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award  
1996 NBA Sportsmanship Award  
2003 NBA Executive of the Year  
2006 Naismith Hall of Fame Inductee  
No. 4 Retired by Detroit Pistons  
 
McNeese  
1982 SLC Freshman of the Year  
1985 Sporting News All-American  
1985 SLC Player of the Year  
1985 Louisiana Player of the Year  
4x 1st Team All-SLC  
No. 4 Retired by McNeese Cowboys  
1990 LABC Hall of Fame Inductee  
1994 McNeese Sports Hall of Fame Inductee  
2003 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Inductee  
2009 SLC Hall of Honor Inductee