CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – For the second time in three games, McNeese will be in a battle for first place in the Southland Conference when it visits Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Monday night in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPNU.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the American Bank Center. The game will also broadcast on the McNeese Radio Network (Magic 92.1 FM and mymagiclc.com).
 
McNeese, at 16-2 on the season (5-0 in league play), is off to its second-best start in school history and can match the 1973-74 team's best start at 17-2 with a win. The 5-0 league start is also the second-best start ever as that same '73-'74 squad began the conference slate 6-0.
 
The Cowboys will be facing an Islanders' squad that has won the last two conference titles and has dominated the series with McNeese over the last 11 years by winning the last 16 match-ups. McNeese's last win over AMCC was back in January of 2013.
 
Corpus (11-7, 4-1) is coming off a 10-point win over Nicholls on Saturday to improve to 7-1 at home on the year. McNeese defeated UIW 80-66 to win its 11^th-straight game, the nation's 3^rd-longest streak. The Cowboys are 7-2 away from home this year and have won five-in-a-row.
 
McNeese is led in scoring by Shahada Wells at 18.9 points per game. Four other Cowboys are scoring 10 or more a clip including Christian Shumate (12.3), DJ Richards Jr. (10.8), Javohn Garcia (10.2) and Mike Saunders Jr. (11.0).
 
Saunders Jr. made his debut against Lamar last Monday and in just his second game against UIW on Saturday, led the Cowboys with 20 points while coming off the bench and in just 25 minutes of action.
 
Wells is second in the league in scoring while also topping the conference with 2.9 steals per game and is second with 4.5 assists. Shumate leads the league with 9.6 rebounds and is third in shooting with a 53.9 percent aim.
 
Leading the Islanders in scoring is Garry Clark with an 11.8 mark. Clark also leads the team in rebounding with an 8.4 average (3^rd in the SLC) and is the conference leader in shooting with a 55.1% mark.
 
Matching up the two teams, McNeese is No. 2 in the league in scoring (79.6) while AMCC is third (76.6). The two are ranked 1-2 in scoring defense, McNeese allowing 60.8 points while the Islanders are giving up 67 points.
 
Following Monday's game, McNeese will return home next Saturday against New Orleans then will host Northwestern State the following Monday.