THIBODAUX – McNeese will tip-off the second half of the Southland Conference basketball season with a three-game lead in the standings on Saturday afternoon when it visits Nicholls.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. but closer to 3:30. The Cowgirls play Nicholls at 1 and the men will not begin until 30 minutes following the end of that game. The game will broadcast on ESPN+ and on the McNeese Radio Network at Power 92.1 FM.
 
The Cowboys, ranked 56^th in Friday's NCAA NET ranking while plays a factor in NCAA Tournament seeding, will carry a 16-5 overall record and 11-game win streak into Saturday's game. McNeese's 10-0 start to league play is the best start in school history.
 
Nicholls is 12-9 overall and 6-4 in conference play and in a 3-way tie for fifth place in the standings with Northwestern State and Southeastern.
 
McNeese defeated Nicholls 80-71 in the Legacy Center back on January 11. Saturday's game will be the 107^th meeting in the all-time series with McNeese leading 58-48. The Cowboys have won five-straight in the series.
 
BROADCAST BULLETS
• McNeese went unbeaten in the month of January for the second straight year (16-0 total, 8-0 in both seasons).
• The Cowboys are ranked 7th in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll and 4th in McKinney's Mid-Major poll.
• The Cowboys' 3-game lead in the league standings is the largest margin in all of the Division I conferences.
• In their 16 wins, the Cowboys have held 14 opponents to under 70 points and 5 under 60... only two teams have scored more than 70 (Nicholls 71, 1/11; AMCC 73, 1/27).
• McNeese's 21-game conference winning streak is the longest league winning streak in the nation... Auburn is 2nd at 12.
• The Cowboys' 11-game overall winning streak is currently the 5th-longest in the NCAA... Duke has the longest winning streak at 14 games.
• McNeese has won 6-straight road games, ranking tied as the 4th-longest current streak in the NCAA.
• The Cowboys are 27-1 in conference play over the last two seasons, and 13-1 in road league games in that span.
• 29-1 against conference competition, including a 2-0 record in last year's SLC tourney.
• 15-1 record when leading at half and 9-0 when leading at half in conference games.
• 93 points scored in the win over UTRGV are the most scored against a D1 opponent this season and the 3rd-most under Will Wade over the last two seasons (102 vs. UNO, 1/27/24; 105 at HCU, 2/12/25).
• Made 12 three-pointers in back-to-back games (24-51 for .471 during that span) and ranking as the second-highest made during league play (16 at Northwestern State).
• McNeese has held 9 of its 10 conference opponents to 8 made 3s or fewer.
• Has trailed just 31:10 out of a possible 400 minutes in league play so far this season.
• 9-0 when shooting 50% or better in 2nd half; 4-0 at 60% or better in 2nd half.
• Shot 50% or better in 2nd half in 6 of 10 SLC games (6-0).
• The 13.3 scoring advantage on the season ranks 22nd in the NCAA.
• McNeese has an 18.2 scoring advantage in conference games.
• Javohn Garcia has scored 966 career points, needing 34 more to reach the 1,000 milestone.
• DJ Richards Jr. has made 132 threes in his McNeese career, ranking 13th all-time in school history.
• In SLC games only, McNeese leads the conference in scoring offense (80.8 ppg) and defense (62.6 ppg).
 
SHUMATE MAKES McNEESE HISTORY
• McNeese's Christian Shumate made McNeese history on Monday night at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi where he pulled down his 1,000th career rebound as a Cowboy.
• Because of that milestone, he's the first player in school history to record 1,000 point, 1,000 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 blocked shots and 100 steals in a career.
• Christian Shumate reached a memorable milestone last Saturday at UTRGV when he pulled recorded the 1,000th rebound of his entire career (Tulsa games included).
• He followed up with five rebounds at A&M-Corpus Christi to put him over 1,000 in his career at McNeese.
• To date, he's recorded 1,012 total career rebounds and 1,001 career boards at McNeese, ranking 4th all-time in school history and just 25 away from 3rd.
 
OTHER MILESTONES WITHIN REACH
• Javohn Garcia needs 34 points for 1,000 in his career (966 total).
• DJ Richards Jr. is 79 points away from 1,000 (921) and 5 three-pointers made from 200 in his career (195).
• Brandon Murray is 88 points away from his career 1,000th point.
• Joe Charles needs 62 rebounds to get to 700 in his career (638).
• Bryant Selebangue pulled down his 500th career rebound against UTRGV and now has 505 in his career.
 
RICHARDS JR. ON TRACK FOR BEST 3FG% ALL-TIME
• DJ Richards Jr. is on track to break the McNeese and Southland Conference career three-point shooting percentage record.
• His current career average of .443 in his time at McNeese is .009 points better than the school record of .434 held by Dru Kuxhausen (2019-21).
• It's also .006 points better than the Southland Conference career record of .437 held by Willie Brand (UTA, 1987-91) and Roosevelt Moore (SHSU, 1990-94).
• Richards Jr. is hitting .471 of his 3s in conference games, ranking No. 1, hitting 33 of 70.
• He's making 3.3 three-pointers per game in league play, ranking 2nd.
• He's made multiple 3s in five straight games.
• He's connected on 5 or more 3s in three league games and hit a career-high 7 threes against UNO on Dec. 28.
 
SLC WIN STREAK REACHES 21-STRAIGHT
• McNeese won its 21st-straight Southland Conference game on Monday night at A&M-Corpus Christi, extending its school record in the process.
• The current streak is the 2nd-longest in conference history, trailing only Stephen F. Austin who had a 32-game winning streak.
 
SLC LONGEST WINNING STREAKS
Rank      Streak    Team                      Season             Began              Ended
1.           32           Stephen F. Austin      2012-14            2/20/12             3/8/14
2.           21           McNeese                 2023-Now         2/5/24              Current
 
MORE STREAKING
• McNeese's 21-game conference winning streak is the longest in the NCAA with Auburn following with 12 straight wins in the SEC.
• In addition, the Cowboys' 11-game overall win streak is tied as the 4th-longest in the nation.
• And the 6-game road winning streak is the 5th-longest current streak.
 
LONGEST CURRENT CONFERENCE WINNING STREAKS
Rank      Streak    Team           Conference   
1.           21           McNeese      Southland
2.           13           Auburn         SEC
3.           11           Akron           MAC
              11           Saint Mary's  WCC
 
LONGEST CURRENT WINNING STREAKS
Rank      Streak    Team                      Conference    
1.           14           Duke                       ACC
2.           13           Houston                  Big 12
              13           Michigan State         Big Ten
3.           12           Auburn                    SEC
              12           Cleveland State        Horizon
5.           11           McNeese                 Southland
 
LONGEST CURRENT ROAD WINNING STREAKS
Rank     Streak     Team                  Conference         
1.           15            Saint Mary's         WCC
2.           9             Houston               Big 12
3.           7             Duke                    ACC
4.           6             McNeese             Southland
              6             Marist                  MAAC
              6             Texas Tech           Big 12       
              6             Alabama              SEC
              6             Cornell                 Ivy League
              6             Central Conn. St.   NEC