KATY, Texas – McNeese will begin play in the 2022 Southland Conference Men's Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at 7:30 when the 7^th-seeded Cowboys go up against No. 6 Northwestern State.
 
The game will follow a 5 p.m. contest between No. 5 HBU and No. 8 UIW. All preliminary games will broadcast live on ESPN+. Saturday's 8:30 p.m. championship game will air on ESPN2.
 
The Cowboys (10-21, 4-10 SLC) will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak while also attempting to pick up their third win of the season against the Demons (9-22, 5-9).
 
McNeese in the SLC Tournament:
• McNeese has compiled a 24-29 all-time record in the league postseason tournament.
• The Cowboys have lost their last three tournament games, including last season by a 71-68 score to Southeastern in the first round.
• McNeese's last tournament win came in 2015 by way of a 62-60 overtime victory over Southeastern as the No. 5 seed.
• The Cowboys have appeared in the championship game six times (2012, 2011, 2002, 2001, 1989, 1986) and winning the tourney twice (2002, 1989).
• McNeese lost in the championship game on a last second shot twice (1986, 2011).
• Wednesday's game will be just the third against the Demons in the postseason with NSU winning the previous two matchups - 96-89 in the 2015 second round and 72-71 in the 2001 championship game.
• All-time, the Cowboys are 16-12 in tournament first round games; 0-2 in the second round; 6-11 in the semifinals; 2-4 in championship games.
• McNeese is 4-7 against current tournament teams in the postseason.
 
All-Conference Cowboys:
• McNeese covid freshman Christian Shumate was named to the All-SLC 3rd team after leading the Cowboys in both scoring (12.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.7 rpg).
• True freshman guard Johnathan Massie was named the league's Freshman of the Year, making him just the second Cowboy in school history to garner the award (Jason Coleman in 2000).
• Shumate is ranked 4th in the SLC in FG shooting (51.8 percent).
• In SLC games only, Shumate averaged 15.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and shot 53.3 percent from the field.
• Massie is averaging 5.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
• Massie is 14th in the conference with 1.14 steals per game and in SLC games only, ranked 15th in the league with 2.6 assists per game.
 
Record Night vs. HBU Last Saturday:
• The Cowboys' 149-144 quadruple overtime loss to HBU on Saturday in Houston was described by many as the game of the year in college basketball, especially in the Southland Conference, with many records broken.
• McNeese records broken included:
      - 144 total points scored (beating record of 140).
      - 49 points scored in overtime period(s).
      - 88 points scored in the paint.
      - 69 bench points scored.
      - 4 overtimes the most played in school history.
• McNeese and HBU's combined 103 overtime points set a new NCAA record for most combined points scored in overtime period(s), breaking the old record of 102 that was held by Syracuse and UConn in the 2009 Big East Tournament in a 6-overtime game.
• The 144 points scored are the second-most in NCAA history by a losing team and the second-most point scored in a game this season.
• Zach Scott played 51 minutes in the game, the second-most minutes recorded by a player in school history. Chris Faggi played a school record 55 minutes in a 78-77 triple ot win over Louisiana Tech in the 1982 SLC Tournament first round.
 
Game Day Notes:
• McNeese has lost 5 straight games and 9 out of its last 11 heading into the tournament.
• Six of the Cowboys' conference losses this season have been by 6 points or less.
• In four league wins, the Cowboys are outscoring their opponents by an 83-76 margin, hitting 51 percent from the field and 44 percent from 3-point range.
• Also in the four SLC wins, four Cowboys averaged double-digit scoring - Zach Scott 19.5, Christian Shumate 16.0, Collin Warren 14.5 and Kellon Taylor 12.7.
• For the season, three Cowboys are averaging double-figures in scoring on the season – Christian Shumate at 12.6, Zach Scott 10.6 and Kellon Taylor 10.4.
• Christian Shumate has scored 10 or more 13 straight games and is averaging 16.7 ppg during that span.
• Shumate ranked 42nd nationally with 2.9 offensive rebounds per game.
• Zach Scott has set a personal career-high with 64 three-pointers made this season, exceeding his previous mark of 59 made when a part of the Florida Gulf Coast team in the 2019-20 season... in his career, Scott has connected on 183 three-pointers.
• Myles Lewis has scored 1,207 points in his career.
• McNeese is ranked No. 1 in the SLC and No. 4 in the NCAA with 13.8 offensive rebounds per game.
• Ranked No. 1 in the SLC and 7th NCAA with 1,253 total rebounds.
• No. 1 SLC and 10th NCAA with 40.4 rebounds per game.
• McNeese has pulled down 40 or more rebounds 14 times this season including in 5 of the last 6 games.
• The Cowboys have recorded 50 or more boards 5 times with a high of 77 against Arlington Baptist on Jan. 12.
 
The Series:                                                                                                   
• Saturday's game will be the 133rd meeting between the Cowboys and Demons and the third this season.
• McNeese holds a slight edge in the series, 67-65, and has won two straight overall and is 5-5 over the last 10 outings.
• The Cowboys swept the regular season series over NSU for the first time since the 2017-18 season and just the third time in the last 15 years.
 
2022 SLC Tournament Schedule
Wednesday, March 9 • First Round       
G1: #5 HBU vs. #8 UIW        5:00   ESPN+
G2: #6 NSU vs. #7 McNeese 7:30   ESPN+
 
Thursday, March 10 • Second Round     
G3: #4 AMCC vs. HBU/UIW  5:00   ESPN+
G4: #3 UNO vs. McN/NSU    7:30   ESPN+
 
Friday, March 11 • Semifinals               
G5: #1 Nicholls vs. Game 3 Winner   5:00  ESPN+
G6: #2 SLU vs. Game 4 Winner     7:30  ESPN+
 
Saturday, March 12 • Championship     
G7: G5 Winner vs. G6 Winner         8:30   ESPN2