THIBODAUX – McNeese basketball returns to action on Thursday when it visits Nicholls in the first of a back-to-back series with the Colonels. The two teams will play again on Saturday at the Legacy Center.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. or 30 minutes following the end of the Cowgirls game with the Lady Colonels. The game will broadcast live on ESPN+ and also the McNeese Radio Network (Magic 92.1 FM and mymagiclc.com).
 
McNeese (5-13, 2-3) will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak after falling 90-81 to HCU last Saturday. The Cowboys have also lost five straight to Nicholls in the series with the last win coming on Jan. 29, 2020. In addition, McNeese has not won in Thibodaux since Feb. 27, 2019.
 
The Cowboys are 2-8 away from home on the year and 1-1 in league road games.
 
Nicholls is 8-9 on the season and 3-2 in league play and avenged an earlier loss to Northwestern State with a 77-63 victory over the Demons on Saturday. The Colonels are 6-0 at home this season and 2-0 in league play with wins over NSU and Southeastern.
 
McNeese is expected to start the same starting five it's put on the court the previous five conference games – Trae English, Zach Scott, Harwin Francois, Johnathan Massie and Christian Shumate.
 
All five are averaging in double-digits in league games only with Scott leading the way with a 15.2 mark. Overall, English leads the team in scoring with a 12.3 average followed by Shumate at 11.6 and Scott's 11.2 tilt.
 
The Colonels will enter the game scoring 74.6 points while the Cowboys are sinking 68.2 per game. But in league games only, McNeese is scoring at an 81.8 clip while Nicholls is at 69.0.
 
Francois continues to have the hot hand for the Cowboys from the perimeter, knocking down a league-best 4.4 three-pointers per game in SLC games only while sinking 56.4 percent (22 of 39). The senior guard has scored in double-figures all five conference games and has raised his season scoring average from 3.6 prior to league play to its current mark of 6.7.
 
Shumate continues to dominate the glass and is currently second in the league and ranked 31^st in the nation with 9.4 rebounds per game. The sophomore is averaging 3.6 offensive rebounds per contest, ranking him first in the conference and 15^th nationally. He's coming off his sixth double-double of the season after scoring 12 points with 12 rebounds against HCU.
 
Nicholls has two players scoring double-figures on the season – senior guard Caleb Huffman (15.5 ppg) and senior guard Latrell Jones (14.6 ppg). In conference games, Huffman is averaging 16.8 points while Jones is at 12.2.