McNeese (6-2, 0-1) vs. Northwestern State (1-6, 0-0)
Friday, December 5, 2025 • 6:30 p.m.
Joe Dumars Court at Townsley Law Arena • Lake Charles, La.
 
Broadcast Information:
Time: 6:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN+ (LINK) – Tom Hoefer (PxP), Mark Young (Analyst)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (Link)
Media Center (LINK)
 
Game Promotion:
• $5 General Admission tickets with a Toys For Tots donation.
 
Projected Starting Lineup:
G Javohn Garcia (13.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.9 spg)
G DJ Richards Jr. (9.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.9 spg)
G Tyshawn Archie (12.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.6 spg)
F Jacolb Fredson-Cole (5.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.3 spg)
F Jerrell Colbert (5.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.3 apg, 0.5 spg, 1.1 bpg)
 
LAKE CHARLES – McNeese will look to rebound from just its second loss of the season when it hosts Northwestern State on Friday night in the Townsley Law Arena in its first home Southland Conference game of the season.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and fans can purchase a $5 ticket with a donation for Toys For Tots. The game will broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
McNeese (6-2, 0-1 SLC) is coming off a 71-67 loss at UIW on Monday night in the earliest played conference game in school history. Northwestern State will come into the game 1-6 after falling 75-73 at home to Southern in its last outing on November 29.
 
The Cowboys will enter the game ranked in four Mid-Major Polls - No. 1 in the T3 One-Bid League Top 32, 12th in the Mid-Major Power 25, No. 16 in the CollegeInsider.com Top 25, and 20th in the Mid-Major Madness Top 25.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
• Since the beginning of the 2023-24 season, McNeese has compiled a record of 36-1 inside the Townsley Law Arena the last 37 games with the lone loss coming against Santa Clara last season.
• In Southland Conference play, McNeese is 19-0 in regular season league games at home and 23-0 overall against conference opponents when adding in league tournament games.
• The Cowboys have won 20 straight regular season league games in Townsley Law Arena dating back to the 2022-23 season with the last loss coming on Feb. 18, 2023 to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
• McNeese has won 16 straight home games which ranks as the 5th-longest in the NCAA.
 
SERIES vs. NORTHWESTERN STATE
• Friday night's game will mark the 143rd meeting in the all-time series with the Cowboys holding a 73-69 lead.
• McNeese has won five straight in the series, including three wins last year (92-69, Jan. 6 in Natchitoches; 65-50, Feb. 8 in Lake Charles; and 83-64, March 11 in SLC Semifinals in Lake Charles).
• The Cowboys have won six straight at home against the Demons and are 6-1 all-time in Townsley Law Arena with the lone loss coming by way of a 74-72 defeat on Feb. 13, 2019.
• NSU head coach Rick Cabrera is 0-5 against McNeese.
 
WINNING DNA
• Since the start of the 2023-24 season, McNeese has compiled a 64-13 overall record, including a 36-3 Southland Conference record over the last three seasons.
• McNeese has won 16 straight home games dating back to last season with the last loss coming against Santa Clara last December.
• 54-1 record when leading at the half over the last three years, 5-0 this season.
 
SUCCESS WHEN SCORING 80+
• McNeese is 32-0 since the start of the 2023-24 season when scoring 80 points or more.
• The Cowboys have scored 80 or more in four games this season.
 
TAKEAWAY TRAIN
• McNeese leads the Southland Conference and is ranked in the top five in the NCAA in turnovers forced per game and turnover margin.
• The Cowboys are forcing 18.6 turnovers a game, ranking 4th in the NCAA while their 8.8 turnover margin rate is ranked No. 2 in the nation.
• McNeese is averaging 11.3 steals per game, No. 1 in the league and 7th in the NCAA.
• Four times McNeese has forced its opponents into 20 or more turnovers in a game and every opponent has turned it over at least 10 times.
• Individually, Garwey Dual leads the conference with 18 total steals and a 2.3 per game, ranking 43rd in the NCAA in spg and 60th in total steals.
• Javohn Garcia is 3rd in the conference with 16 total steals and fifth with 1.9 spg while Tyshawn Archie is 6th with 13 total steals and 9th with a 1.6 average.