HAMMOND – McNeese will start a three-game road stretch on Tuesday night when it visits Southeastern at the University Center in Southland Conference action.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will broadcast on ESPN+.
 
This is the second meeting of the season between McNeese (16-4, 9-2 SLC) and Southeastern (6-14, 3-8 SLC). The Cowboys defeated the Lions 73-61 back on January 10 in the Townsley Law Arena.
 
Following the game, McNeese will play at Lamar on Saturday before wrapping up a string of three games in six days next Monday at first place Stephen F. Austin.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS
Javohn Garcia, G – 11.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.8 spg
Tyshawn Archie, G – 14.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.6 spg
Larry Johnson, G – 17.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.9 spg
Carl Cherenfant, G – 5.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.1 spg
Jerrell Colbert, F – 4.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.1 bpg
 
McNEESE RETURNS TO THE ROAD FOR THREE STRAIGHT, BEGINNING TUESDAY AT SOUTHEASTERN
• McNeese will play its next three games away from home, starting Tuesday at 6 against Southeastern.
• Following Tuesday's game, McNeese will play visit Lamar on Saturday followed by a Monday clash at Stephen F. Austin which could determine the No. 1 seed for the postseason tournament.
• The Cowboys, 16-4 overall and 9-2 in league play, are coming off an 82-63 win over New Orleans on Saturday to capture their 23rd straight home win and 30th consecutive home victory over Southland Conference competition.
• Southeastern beat Nicholls 67-61 at home in its last game to improve to 6-14 overall and 3-8 in league play.
• The Lions are 3-4 at home on the season including 2-4 in home conference games.
• McNeese has won three straight in the series, including a 73-61 win in the Townsley Law Arena back on Jan. 10.
• In that game, Tyshawn Archie scored a career-high 25 points behind 11 of 19 shooting, while Javohn Garcia added 10 points.
• The Lions' last win over McNeese was in Hammond on Feb. 3, 2024 by a 77-74 score and was the only conference loss for the Cowboys in the 2023-24 season.
• The last five games played in Hammond have been decided by six points or fewer (W 88-82, 2/17/25; L 77-74, 2/3/24; L 78-75, 2/25/23; L 91-86, 2/10/22; W 95-91, 2/24/21).
• McNeese is ranked No. 1 in the NCAA in steal percentage (15.0) and No. 1 in the country in turnover percentage (24.6).
• The Cowboys are No. 6 in the NCAA in block percentage (16.2) and 12th in non-steal turnover percentage (9.6).
• McNeese is 44-11 over the last two seasons and 74-15 over the last three, ranking as one of the best records in the NCAA during those spans.
 
SERIES vs. SOUTHEASTERN
• Tuesday's game will be the 127th meeting all-time against Southeastern with the Cowboys leading 72-54.
• McNeese has three straight against the Lions, including a 73-61 victory on Jan. 10 in the Townsley Law Arena.
• Southeastern defeated McNeese 77-74 in Hammond on Feb. 3, 2024 to hand the Cowboys their only conference loss of the 2023-24 season.
 
TALKING POINTS
• The Cowboys are ranked No. 58 in the latest NCAA NET rankings and No. 66 in the KenPom.
• In the mid-major polls, McNeese is No. 6 in the T3 Bracketology One-Bid League Top 32, No. 8 in the Field of 68 Mid-Major Top 25, No. 19 in the Mid-Major Power 25, No. 19 in Mid-Major Madness, and No. 19 in CollegeInsider.com.
• The Cowboys finished its non-conference slate with a 7-2 record, including a 5-2 mark against Division I opponents.
• McNeese has won at least 16 games through the first 20 for just the second time since becoming a Division I school with both times coming in the last three seasons.
• The Cowboys have had 8 different players make at least 8 starts.
• All 10 regulars have scored double-digits at least once this season while eight players have scored 10 or more multiple times.
• The Cowboys lead the SLC and are No. 2 in the NCAA in turnover margin (7.4), No. 1 SLC and 2nd nationally in turnovers forced (17.3), No. 1 SLC and 6th nationally in steals per game (10.6).
• McNeese is also 4th in the NCAA in bench points scored per game (38.5) and 13th in the NCAA in fastbreak points (17.1).
• The Cowboys are No. 1 in the Southland Conference in 11 categories.
• 13 of the Cowboys' 16 wins have been by 10 points or more.
• McNeese's non-conference schedule is ranked as the 12th toughest in the nation.
 
ARMSTRONG NOMINATED FOR JOE B. HALL AWARD AS NATION'S TOP FIRST-YEAR COACH
• McNeese first year head coach Bill Armstrong has the Cowboys on path for their third straight Southland Conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance, and because of that, he's been nominated for the 2025-26 Joe B. Hall Award which is presented annually to the top first-time head coach in Division I college basketball.
• The Cowboys are currently 16-4 overall, the second-best start in school history since becoming a Division I program.
• Finalists will be announced in late February-early March.
 
GARCIA REACHES 1,000 CAREER POINTS FOR 2ND TIME; RICHARDS JR. CLOSING IN
• McNeese senior guard Javohn Garcia scored his 1,000th point as McNeese Cowboy when he netted 12 against Nicholls on Jan. 12.
• It's the second time in his career to score 1,000 career points - last season, Garcia, who played two seasons at UMass before joining McNeese for the 2023-24 season, scored his overall 1,000th point.
• He's the first player in school history to score 1,000 in a career twice.
• He'll enter Saturday's game with 1,359 total career points scored and 1,031 points at McNeese
• DJ Richards Jr. is closing in on the same milestone.
• Richards Jr., who played his freshman season at UTSA, scored his 1,000th overall career point last year and is 102 points away from scoring his 1,000th as a McNeese Cowboy.
• Richards Jr. has scored 1,235 total points in his career and 898 at McNeese.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
• McNeese has won 23 straight games in Townsley Law Arena, the 4th-longest current streak in the NCAA.
• Since the beginning of the 2023-24 season, McNeese has compiled a record of 43-1 inside the Townsley Law Arena the last 44 games with the lone loss coming against Santa Clara last season.
• McNeese has won 30 straight games against conference competition (26 regular season and 4 tournament games).
• The Cowboys have won 26 straight regular season conference 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... it's the 3rd-longest streak in the history of the conference.
 
WINNING CULTURE
• Since the start of the 2023-24 season, McNeese has compiled a 74-15 overall record, including a 45-4 Southland Conference record over the last three seasons.
• McNeese has won 23 straight home games dating back to last season with the last loss coming against Santa Clara last December.
• 61-1 record when leading at the half over the last three years, 12-0 this season.
• McNeese is 44-11 over the last two seasons ranking as one of the best records in the NCAA during that span.
 
SUCCESS WHEN SCORING 80+
• McNeese is 37-0 since the start of the 2023-24 season when scoring 80 points or more, 9-0 this season.
• The Cowboys have scored 90 or more six times this year and 100 or more three times.
 
TAKEAWAY TRAIN
• McNeese is ranked No. 2 in the NCAA in turnover margin with a +7.4 mark.
• The Cowboys have forced 20 or more turnovers 7 times on the year and 10 or more in all 20 games.
• McNeese has forced more turnovers than committed in every game.