LAKE CHARLES – McNeese returns home for the next two games looking to build off the success from last week's wins over Southeastern Louisiana and New Orleans when it starts the week against Incarnate Word on Thursday with five games remaining in Southland Conference action.
 
Tip-off is slated for 7:30 on Joe Dumars Court at the Legacy Center. The game will broadcast live on ESPN Plus.
 
McNeese (7-19, 4-9 SLC) downed then-first place Southeastern Louisiana last Thursday then rallied from a 22-point second half deficit at New Orleans on Saturday to win its second straight and better position itself for the postseason tournament which McNeese will host March 5-9.
 
UIW (11-15, 5-8) dropped two straight home games last week, falling 68-59 to Lamar then 84-78 to HCU.
 
The Cardinals and HCU are tied for sixth place in the conference standings and each sit a game ahead of McNeese, who are tied for eighth.
 
UIW defeated the Cowboys 70-65 in San Antonio back on January 26. In that game, McNeese led 32-31 at the half but fell behind by 10 points early in the second half.
 
Christian Shumate, the Cowboys' top scorer and rebounder on the season, led in that game with 18 points while Johnathan Massie added 16 and Donovan Oday 10.
 
Johnthan Cisse led UIW with 24 points in the contest. Cisse leads the Cardinals in scoring with a 15.7 average but it sinking 19.1 points in conference games.
 
McNeese will host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 3:30 on Saturday to close out the weekend.