Opponent: UTRGV (16-10, 13-4 SLC)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Lake Charles (Townsley Law Arena)
Watch: ESPN+
PROMOTION: Play 4 Kay
 
LAKE CHARLES--  McNeese women's basketball is having an historical season to say the least and the Cowgirls will have an opportunity to accomplish another goal come this Thursday, Feb. 19 when they host second place UTRGV at 6:30 p.m. at the Townsley Law Arena.

McNeese (22-4, 16-1 SLC) is coming off a program record 16^th Southland Conference win last Saturday with a 71-64 win at East Texas A&M.  A win on Thursday would give McNeese no less than a share of the regular season title, its third in program history.  McNeese won its first SLC title as co-champions in 1986 and won the regular season title in 2011.

The Cowgirls will carry a program long 15 game winning streak into the game which is the seventh longest winning streak in the NCAA this season.

UTRGV is in second place in the SLC standings with a 16-10 overall record and a 13-4 conference record, three games behind the Cowgirls with five games left in the regular season.

McNeese defeated the Vaqueros 70-54 in Edinburg, Texas in the first meeting of the season on Jan. 17.  The win by McNeese snapped a four-game losing streak against UTRGV.  The last home win over UTRGV was a 78-51 win on Nov. 27, 1998.
 
McNEESE NOTES
• Will clinch no less that a share of the SLC regular season title with a win
• A win would give McNeese its third regular season Southland title (1986, 2011)
• Coming off a school record 16th SLC win at East Texas A&M last Saturday
• It's the first 20-win season since 2016
• Have won 18 of last 20 games
• Enter the game on a program best 15 game winning streak, the seventh longest winning streak in the NCAA this season.
• Head coach Ayla Guzzardo is the first McNeese head coach to win 22 games in their first season as head coach
• Guzzardo currently has an overall differential record of improvement of 14.5 for first year head coaches, tying her with Cynthia Cooper of Texas Southern for best turnaround in the nation for first year head coach.
• Kim Mulkey holds the Louisiana record of 12.0 (2021-22) in her first season at LSU.
• The record for largest turnaround in wins from one season to another is 19 games by Liberty (1995-96), Guzzardo is at 14 entering Thursday's game against UTRGV. 
• The only SLC loss this season was a 65-58 home loss against Northwestern State on Dec. 15, the second SLC game of the season.
• Broke into the College Insider Mid Major Poll for the first time this season on Feb. 17, coming in at No. 25
• Head coach Ayla Guzzardo picked her 100th career Southland Conference win on Feb. 5, 2026, with an 83-35 home win over Houston Christian.
• McNeese leads the nation in turnover margin and ranks second in scoring defense.
• Enter the game leading the SLC in eight statistical categories (Assists/Turnover Ratio, scoring defense (2nd in the nation), scoring margin, steals per game (6th in the nation), turnover margin (lead the nation), turnovers forced per game (8th in the nation), turnovers per game (5th in the nation), and winning percent (14th in the nation).
• Enter the game ranked in the Top 25 in eight NCAA statistical categories - 1st in turnover margin (13.12), 2nd in scoring defense (51.8), 5th in turnovers per game (11.1), 6th in steals per game (14.7), and 8th in turnovers forced per game (24.19), 25th in scoring margin (17.1) and 14th in wining percent (84.6),
• The Cowgirls' NET ranking of 78 (Dec. 14, 2025), was the highest in program history.
• Freshman Dakota Howard continues to lead the team in scoring with 13.1 ppg, rebounds (6.3), and steals with 66. She leads the SLC with 2.9 spg.  She has scored in double figures in 16 out of last 19 games. She is averaging 15.1 ppg. in conference games which ranks her fourth.
• Arianna Patton leads the team and ranks third in the SLC with 62 three-pointers.  She is second on the team in scoring (11.0 ppg.)
• Jalencia Pierre has a team high 90 assists (3.6 apg.) and is second on the team with 51 steals.  She leads the SLC and ranks 19th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (2.31).   Pierre has scored 981 points, needing 19 points to reach 1,000 career points.
• McNeese has 13 newcomers, which ranks tied for fourth most in the NCAA. Three other teams (Northern Arizona, Indiana State, UL-Monroe) all have 13 newcomers. Of the 13 newcomers, nine are D1 transfers which is tied for most in the NCAA this season.
• All 13 newcomers are Guzzardo's former Southeastern players and recruits 
• Guzzardo brought nine players from her 2024-25 Southeastern team and entire staff, including managers with her to McNeese.
• The 2025-26 roster consists of two-time Southland "Defensive Player of the Year" in Jalencia Pierre.
• Also on the team are two Southland "Freshmen of the Year"- Kaili Chamberlin (2022) and Lexi Alexander (2023).
 
UTRGV NOTES
• Enter the game in second place in the SLC standings behind McNeese with a 16-10 overall record and a 13-4 conference record
• Have won seven of their last eight games
• Coming off a 72-70 home loss against SFA on Saturday
• Have won four of the last five meetings against McNeese.
• Lead the SLC in rebounds, averaging 42.6 per game
• Charlotte O'Keefe leads the SLC in rebounds with 13.4 per game and ranks third in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (9.3).  She is second in the SLC in blocks (1.7)
• Jalayah Ingram is second in the SLC in scoring (17.1), third in assists (4.0), and fifth in rebounds (6.9)
• Kyla Lorenz is third in the SLC in 3-pt. field goal percent (40.2)
 
UPCOMING GAMES
Feb. 19 UTRGV (6:30 p.m.)*
Feb. 21 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (1 p.m.)*
Feb. 26 at Nicholls (6:30 p.m.)*
Feb. 28 at UNO (2 p.m.)*
Mar. 2 Stephen F. Austin (6:30 p.m.)*
 
Home Games in BOLD
*- Southland Conference Opener