LAKE CHARLES – McNeese returns to Joe Dumars Court at the Legacy Center on Saturday afternoon looking to snap a two-game skid when it hosts Houston Christian University in Southland Conference men's basketball action.
Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30. The game will broadcast live on ESPN+.
McNeese (5-12, 2-2 SLC) is coming off an 89-75 loss at Northwestern State on Thursday night. In that game, the Cowboys led 35-34 at the half and built a seven-point second-half lead before the Demons caught fire from three-point range, where they connected on 7 of 11 in the half. Those bombs helped NSU put together a 24-8 run to build a double-digit lead three-quarters through the half.
Johnathan Massie led five Cowboys in double-figures with a career-high 18 points.
Christian Shumate added 15,
Trae English 14,
Zach Scott 13 and
Harwin Francois 11. It's the third time in four conference games where all five starters scored in double-digits.
HCU (5-12, 2-2) defeated Texas A&M-Commerce 68-59 at home in its last outing. The Huskies were led in scoring by Brycen Long's 21 points followed by Maks Klanjscek's 19.
THE SERIES:
• Saturday's game will be the 31st meeting between McNeese and HCU with the Cowboys holding a 22-8 lead.
• The two teams split last year's series - McNeese winning 78-75 in the Legacy Center and HCU taking a 149-144 4ot win in Houston to end the regular season.
• McNeese has won 5 of the last 6 meetings and 8 of the last 10.
• The Cowboys have won the last five games played at home and are 3-0 in the Legacy Center.
COWBOY NOTEBOOK
• McNeese is the only team in the conference with five players ranked in the top 25 in scoring in SLC games only (Francois, 10th, 15.3; Scott, 12th, 14.8; Shumate, 15th, 14.3; Massie, T-20th, 13.0; English, T-22nd, 12.8).
• The Cowboys have scored 75 points or more in all four conference games and are ranked 2nd in the league in scoring offense in SLC games only with 82.0 points per game.
• The Cowboys are outscoring their opponents an average of 80-60 in the five wins.
• McNeese is 5-2 on the season when leading at the half.
• Cowboys have made at least one three-point goal in 311 consecutive games.
• McNeese is the only team in the league with four players that have made 23 or more 3s on the season - Francois 31, Scott 28, English 24, Berze 23.
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Harwin Francois is 20-35 from long range in SLC games only.
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Christian Shumate has scored 10 or more in five straight games; Francois, Scott and Massie in four consecutive.
• Scott has scored 1,190 points in his career which includes his playing days at Florida Gulf Coast University... he's scored 576 of those points as a Cowboy.
• Scott has knocked down 111 three-point goals in his McNeese career, needing 25 more to move into 10th on the McNeese career record list.
JOHN RUDD JERSEY RETIREMENT CELEBRATION PRIOR TO TIP-OFF
• McNeese will retire the No. 52 jersey worn by Hall of Famer John Rudd this Saturday when the Cowboys host HCU.
• Rudd played for the Cowboys from 1975-78 and was a four-time All-Southland Conference performer, earning first team honors his junior and senior seasons.
• He's the only player in SLC history to lead the league in rebounding three seasons ('75, '76, '78) and continues to hold the school record while ranking eighth in the conference in single-season rebounding average (13.7 in 1976).
• His career 11.6 average continues to rank No. 2 in school and 5th in SLC history while his 1,181 career total rebounds is ranked 2nd in school and 4th in league history.
• He was inducted into the McNeese Sports Hall of Fame in 1986 and was named to the SLC 1970s All-Decade Team.
CALCASIEU PARISH SCHOOL TEACHERS, FACULTY, STAFF ADMITTED FREE:
• All Calcasieu Parish school teachers, faculty and staff members will be admitted free to the double-header with a valid school ID.
• The CPSB Teacher Appreciation stems from the partnership between the Calcasieu Parish School Board and McNeese Athletics and is part of CPSB and McNeese's Building Cowboys for the Future campaign.
• At the 4-minute timeout of the first half of the men's game, the CPSB New Teachers of the Year will be recognized – Katelyn Bihm of College Oaks Elementary, Demi Boudreaux from Moss Bluff Middle School and Spencer Butts of Iowa High School.
CITGO POKE PLAZA RIBBON CUTTING:
• The McNeese Athletic Foundation and McNeese Athletics will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially dedicate the CITGO Poke Plaza at Joe Dumars Court at Legacy Center prior to the start of the Cowboys' basketball game against Houston Christian University.
• Located on the third level of the Legacy Center, CITGO Poke Plaza provides an area for fans overlooking Joe Dumars Court to socialize and watch the Cowboys and Cowgirls compete.
