LAKE CHARLES – The first place McNeese Cowboys return to the Legacy Center on Saturday afternoon when it hosts long-time rival Lamar in the first of two Battle of the Border match-ups this season.
Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. Tickets are still on sale but are going quick. The game will also broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Cowboys (12-5, 6-0 SLC) are currently on a seven-game winning streak, their longest of the season, and have won a school-record 17-straight games against conference teams dating back to last season.
McNeese is coming off 75-59 win at HCU on Monday in a game that saw five Cowboys score in double-figures.
Lamar is 9-8 overall and 4-2 in conference play, and after starting out league action 4-0, has dropped its last two games, both at home against Stephen F. Austin and New Orleans.
Saturday's game will be the 118th meeting in the all-time series with Lamar leading 60-57. The Cowboys have won three-straight in the series including a 76-57 win in last year's SLC tourney semifinals.
BROADCAST BULLETS
• In their 12 wins, the Cowboys have held 11 opponents to under 70 points and four under 60... Nicholls' 71 points on Jan. 11 are the most scored by an opponent in a McNeese win.
• McNeese's 17-game conference winning streak is the longest league winning streak in the nation... Auburn is 2nd at 10.
• The Cowboys' 7-game overall winning streak is currently the 8th-longest in the NCAA... Iowa State has the longest at 12.
•
Christian Shumate needs 3 points to move into 13th place on the school's career scoring list... now with 1,503 career points, three more will move him past Clyde Briley (1,505).
• Shumate is 19 rebounds away from reaching 1,000 in his career (he has 970 rebounds at McNeese, 11 while at Tulsa).
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Javohn Garcia has scored 923 career points, needing 77 more for 1,000.
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DJ Richards Jr. has made 118 threes in his McNeese career, needing 5 more to move into 15th all-time in school history.
• Head coach
Will Wade recorded his 230th career win against HCU on Monday.
• In SLC games only, McNeese leads the conference in scoring offense (82.2 ppg) and defense (63.5 ppg).
• McNeese's current scoring margin of +12.8 is ranked as the 4th-best in school history behind 17.7 in 2023-24 and 1955-56, and 13.1 in 1956-57.
• McNeese is outscoring conference opponents by an average of 20 points per game.
SLC WIN STREAK REACHES 17-STRAIGHT
• McNeese won its 17th-straight Southland Conference game on at HCU, extending its school record in the process.
• The current streak is the 4th-longest in conference history.
SLC LONGEST WINNING STREAKS
Rank Streak Team Season Began Ended
1. 32 Stephen F. Austin 2012-14 2/20/13 3/8/14
2. 20 UL-Lafayette 1971-73 1/3/72 1/14/76
3. 19 ULM 1992-94 1/7/93 1/8/94
4. 17 McNeese 2023-Now 2/5/24 Current
MORE STREAKING
• McNeese's 17-game conference winning streak is the longest in the NCAA with Auburn following with 10 straight wins in the SEC.
• In addition, the Cowboys' 7-game overall win streak is tied as the 8th-longest in the nation.
LONGEST CURRENT CONFERENCE WINNING STREAKS
Rank Streak Team Conference
1. 17 McNeese Southland
2. 10 Auburn SEC
3. 9 Iowa State Big 12
9 Samford SoCon
5. 7 Duke ACC
7 Cleveland State Horizon
7 Saint Mary's WCC
7 Akron MAC
LONGEST CURRENT WINNING STREAKS
Rank Streak Team Conference
1. 12 Iowa State Big 12
2. 11 Duke ACC
3. 10 Michigan State Big Ten
4. 9 Auburn SEC
9 Cleveland State Horizon
9 Houston Big 12
7. 8 Marist MAAC
8. 7 McNeese Southland
7 Louisville ACC
7 Arizona Big 12
7 Omaha Summit League
LOVING THE LEGACY
• The Legacy Center has become one of the toughest places to play for McNeese's opponents as of late as the Cowboys have posted a 24-1 record in the arena over the last two seasons.
• McNeese went 18-0 in the Legacy Center last year and is currently 6-1 at home this season.
• The Cowboys saw their 20-game home court winning streak snapped against Santa Clara back on December 3, which at the time, was the nation's 4th-longest home court winning streak.
• The Cowboys have won 14 straight games against Southland Conference opponents in the arena - 9-0 during SLC play last season and 2-0 in SLC Tournament action, and 3-0 this year.
• McNeese has won 13 straight league games at home dating back to the 2022-23 season.
• Since its opening for the 2018-19 season, McNeese has compiled a 49-27 all-time record in the Legacy Center.
• 26-21 in Southland Conference games played in Legacy Center including 9-0 last season and 16-1 over the last 17 games.
• Due to hurricane damage, the entire 2020-21 season and half of the 21-22 season was played out at Burton Coliseum, McNeese's home arena from 1986-2018.
COWBOYS WITH CAREER HIGHS THIS SEASON
• A couple of Cowboys have scored their career highs this season -
Javohn Garcia and
T'Johnn Brown.
•
Garcia netted a career-high 26 points against Southeastern back on Dec. 30 while
Brown scored a career-best 10 points versus Nicholls last Saturday.
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Garcia also tied a career-high with 7 rebounds vs. Illinois State (Nov. 22) and at HCU (Jan. 13), and made a career-best 12 free throws vs. Nicholls (Nov. 11).
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Quadir Copeland dished out a career-high 11 assists twice, vs. LeTourneau (Dec. 7) and at Northwestern State (Jan. 6), and 5 steals at East Texas A&M (Jan. 4).
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Christian Shumate career-high 4 three-pointers made vs. LeTourneau (Dec. 7).
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Joe Charles tied a career-high with 5 steals vs. Southeastern (Dec. 30).
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Sincere Parker a career-high 6 three-pointers made vs. NSU (Jan. 6).
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DJ Richards Jr. career-best 7 3s made vs. New Orleans (Dec. 28), 4 assists vs. East Texas A&M (Jan. 4), and 4 steals vs. ETAM and HCU (Jan. 13).
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Brandon Murray pulled down a career-best 9 rebounds against Mississippi State (Dec. 14).
