McNeese (13-3, 6-1 SLC) vs. Nicholls (8-8, 7-0 SLC)
January 12, 2026 • Joe Dumars Court at Townsley Law Arena
 
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: (LINK)
Tickets: (LINK)
 
LAKE CHARLES – McNeese will play for first place in the Southland Conference standings on Monday night when it hosts Nicholls at the Townsley Law Arena.
 
Tip-off is set for 6:30. Tickets are still available but going fast. The game will also broadcast on ESPN+.
 
McNeese is 13-3 on the year and 6-1 in league play and has won six straight conference games since dropping the conference opener by four points at UIW. Nicholls (8-8, 7-0 SLC) has a one game lead over McNeese and Stephen F. Austin in the standings. The Colonels are 7-0 in league play for the first time since the 1997-98 championship season.
 
The Colonels handed McNeese its only loss in conference play last season, winning 71-63 in Thibodaux last February 1.
 
The Cowboys will enter the game ranked No. 1 in the Southland Conference in 12 stat categories including scoring offense (64.3 ppg), scoring margin (+15.9), turnover margin (+7.5), turnovers forced per game (17.4), steals per game (10.6), FG shooting (.486), effective FG percentage (.542), FG defense (.401), bench points (40.3), fastbreak points (18.8), free throw percentage (.763), and winning percentage (.813).
 
Individually, Tyshawn Archie is coming off a career-high scoring game when he sank 25 points to lead the Cowboys to a 73-61 win over Southeastern on Saturday. Archie is scoring 14.3 points per game, ranking 11^th in the league.
 
Larry Johnson leads the team and is fifth in the conference with a 16.0 average while Javohn Garcia is putting up an 11.9 clip.
 
The Colonels are ranked second behind McNeese in forcing turnovers with 16.1 per game. Nicholls averages 76.4 points of scoring offense and allows 75.3 points per game.
 
Jaylen Searles, who scored a season-high 24 points at New Orleans on Saturday, leads the team with 14.3 ppg.
 
Saturday's game will be the 108^th in the all-time series with McNeese leading 59-48.