LAKE CHARLES – McNeese will close out its three-game home stand on Monday night when the Cowboys host East Texas A&M in Southland Conference action.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. at McNeese's Legacy Center and the game will broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
McNeese improved to 18-6 overall and 12-1 in conference play after Saturday's 65-50 win over Northwestern State. The win kept the Cowboys with a three-game lead in the league standings while officially clinching a tournament berth, which McNeese will host in mid-March.
 
East Texas A&M is 3-21 overall and in last place in the standings with a 1-12 record with its only win coming against NSU. The Cowboys defeated the Lions in the first meeting, 75-56, back on January 4 in Commerce.
 
BROADCAST BULLETS
• Monday will be the 21st meeting in the series with McNeese leading 12-8.
• The Cowboys have won 4 straight in the series.
• Cowboys' head coach Will Wade is 2-0 all-time against the Lions.
• Javohn Garcia scored his 1,000th career point against NSU on Saturday.
• DJ Richards Jr. sank the 200th three-pointer of his college career and the 137th at McNeese.
• Christian Shumate will make his 100th career start on Monday night.
• Head coach Will Wade won his 40th game on Saturday as McNeese's head coach.
• The 50 points scored by NSU on Saturday were the fewest allowed by McNeese this season and 7th time to hold opponent to under 60.
• McNeese is ranked 8th 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 18 wins, the Cowboys have held 16 opponents to under 70 points and 6 under 60... only three teams have scored more than 70 (Nicholls 71, 1/11; AMCC 73, 1/27; Nicholls 71, 2/1).
• The Cowboys are 10-1 in the Legacy Center this season and 7-0 in conference games.
• Winners of 17-straight home conference games dating back to the season finale of the 2022-23 season, and 19-1 when including last year's two tournament wins.
 
MISTERS MILESTONE
• McNeese's Christian Shumate made McNeese history 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.
• Javohn Garcia scored the 1,000th point of his career on Saturday against Northwestern State.
• DJ Richards Jr. popped the 200th three-pointer of his career, also on Saturday against the Demons.
• Bryant Selebangue pulled down the 500th rebound of his career at UTRGV on Jan. 25.
• Head coach Will Wade won his 40th game at McNeese against NSU on Saturday.
• McNeese has won 398 Southland Conference games, extending the league record.
 
MORE MILESTONE CHASING
• Quadir Copeland is 2 assists away from 200 in his career.
• Richards Jr. has scored 938 career points, 62 away from 1,000.
• Brandon Murray has scored 937 points in his career, 63 from 1,000.
• Joe Charles needs 40 rebounds to get to 700 in his career (660).
 
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE THE LEGACY CENTER
• McNeese is 10-1 at home this season including 6-0 in home conference games.
• The Cowboys have won 8-straight at home overall and 17-consecutive wins in league play dating back to the end of the 2022-23 season, 19-straight with the two tournament wins included.
• The Cowboys are 28-1 at home over the last two seasons.
• Top the Southland Conference in attendance with an average of 3,300 fans per game, nearly 2,000 more average than the next team.
• McNeese's 75% arena capacity rate ranks in the top 40 among all Division I programs and is the 12th-highest among all mid-majors.
• In 11 home games this season, the Cowboys are outscoring opponents by an 18. margin (80.0-62.0).
• 7 of the 11 home wins have been by double-digits with four of those by 20 points or more.
 
NOTES ON THE POKES
• McNeese is 28-1 overall at home over the last 2 seasons.
• The Cowboys are 30-2 in conference play over the last two seasons, and 16-0 in home league games during that span.
• 16-1 record when leading at half and 10-0 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 11 of its 13 conference opponents to 8 made 3s or fewer.
• 10-1 when shooting 50% or better in 2nd half for the season; 4-0 at 60% or better in 2nd half.
• Shot 50% or better in 2nd half in 8 of 12 SLC games (7-1).
• McNeese has a 14.7 scoring advantage in conference games and 18.0 in home league games.
• Garcia has scored double-figures in 6 straight games and in 12 of the last 13.
• Quadir Copeland has dished out 3 or more assists in 6 straight games.
• DJ Richards Jr. has made 137 threes in his McNeese career, ranking 12th all-time in school history.
 
NEXT UP
• McNeese will play its next two away from home beginning Saturday at New Orleans and next Monday at Southeastern.