SAN ANTONIO – The two-time defending Southland Conference champion McNeese Cowboys will begin their quest for a three-peat on Monday night when they visit UIW.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 and the game will broadcast on ESPN+.
 
McNeese (6-1) has won five straight games and is coming off an impressive 3-0 showing at the Cayman Island Classics, beating top mid-major programs in George Washington, Murray State, and Middle Tennessee State in the championship game that captured the program's first-ever in-season tournament championship.
 
The Cowboys will also carry a 9-game conference winning streak into the contest and 11-consecutive wins over Southland Conference opponents when adding in last year's league tournament games.
 
Senior guard Javohn Garcia, the reigning league player of the year, looked to form at the Cayman Islands Classic where he averaged 19.7 points, 2.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game in leading the Cowboys to a 3-0 record and the championship. Garcia was named the Classic's MVP and capped off play by matching a career-high with 26 points in a win over Middle Tennessee.
 
Garcia, with a 13.6 scoring average, is one of three Cowboys averaging double-digits in scoring on the season. Freshman transfer Larry Johnson leads the team with an 18.6 average while Tyshawn Archie is sinking 13.1 per game.
 
UIW (4-3) is coming off a 117-55 win over Texas Lutheran in its last game and is 3-0 at home this season. McNeese, who is 3-1 away from home, will be the Cardinals' first home Division I opponent this year. UIW is 1-3 in D1 games this season with the win coming against Southern Indiana.
 
The Cardinals are one of the teams coming into the season that several media outlets said could challenge McNeese for the championship.
 
Projected Starting Lineup
Javohn Garcia, G (13.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.1 apg, 2.1 spg, .484 FG, .455 3FG, .821 FT)
DJ Richards Jr., G (9.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.7 apg, 0.k6 spg, .459 FG, .520 3FG, .750 FT)
Tyshawn Archie, G (13.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.6 spg, .427 FG, .310 3FG, .867 FT)
Jacolb Fredson-Cole, F (6.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.4 spg, .333 FG, .813 FT)
Jerrell Colbert, F (6.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.3 bpg, .654 FG, .250 3FG, .667 FT)
 
Notebook:
• Monday will mark the 20th meeting in the series with UIW and McNeese leading 12-7 all-time.
• The Cowboys have won four-straight in the series including last year's nail-biting 67-65 win in Lake Charles.
• Monday's game will mark the earliest start in conference play in school history.
• McNeese is ranked No. 1 in the Southland in scoring offense (93.0) while UIW is ranked No. 2 (88.9).
• The Cowboys are No. 2 in the league in scoring defense (66.3), UIW is 7th (74.9).
• The two teams are 1-2 in the league in FG shooting - McNeese 1st at 50.9% and UIW 2nd at 49.3%.
• Individually, UIW has the league's top two scorers in Davion Bailey (20.0 ppg) and Tahj Staveskie (19.1 ppg) while McNeese's Larry Johnson is 4th with an 18.6 average.
• McNeese is ranked No. 77 in the latest KenPom rankings; UIW is No. 198.
• The Cowboys are ranked 16^th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll; T21st in Mid-Major Madness Top 25; No. 20 in the Mid-Major Power 25; and No. 5 in the T3 One-Bid League Top 32.