Opponent: Houston Christian (6-14, 4-9 SLC)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Lake Charles, La. (Townsley Law Arena)
Watch: ESPN+
Promotion: Black History Appreciation/Student Experience Night
 
LAKE CHARLES--  McNeese women's basketball returns to the Townsley Law Arena Thursday night to host Houston Christian in a 6:30 p.m. Southland Conference game.  The game will stream on ESPN+.
The first-place Cowgirls (18-4, 12-1 SLC), have won their last 11 games and 14 of their last 16 games following road wins at Stephen F. Austin and Lamar last week.  The Cowgirls carry a 7-1 home record into Thursday's game.
McNeese will look for its second win over Houston Christian this season after defeating the Huskies 63-43 on Dec. 31 in Houston.  The Huskies enter the game with a 6-14 overall record and 4-9 SLC and have lost 10 of its last 12 games.
A win on Thursday would give head coach Ayla Guzzardo her 100^th career Southland Conference win. Guzzardo has a career conference record of 99-55.
 
McNeese Notes
• Are in first place in the SLC with an 18-4 overall record and 12-1 in the SLC.
• On an 11-game winning streak
• Have won 14 of last 16 games
• The 11 consecutive SLC wins is a program long SLC winning streak
• Coming off two big wins last week- a 70-64 overtime win at SFA last Thursday, and a 64-52 win at Lamar on Saturday.
• The 11 consecutive SLC wins is a program long SLC winning streak
• Return home after playing five of the last six games on the road
• Host Houston Christian on Thursday and UIW on Saturday.
• Head coach Ayla Guzzardo is one win away from picking up her 100th career SLC win (99-55).
• Two wins this week will give McNeese its first 20-win season since the 2016 season who went 20-13.
• Two wins this week would give McNeese 14 conference wins, the most conference wins since 2012 (13-3).
• Looking to pick up regular season sweep against both HCU and UIW
• Have won the last three and five of the last six games against HCU
• UIW has won four out of the last five games against McNeese.
• Lead the nation in turnover margin and rank second in scoring defense.
• Rank 19 in this week's March Madness Mid-Major Poll
• The win over UNO on Jan. 24, gave McNeese 10 conference wins, the first time McNeese has won 10 SLC games since 2016.
• Enter the game leading the SLC in nine statistical categories (Assists/Turnover Ratio, field goal percent defense, scoring defense (2nd in the nation), scoring margin, steals per game, turnover margin (lead the nation), turnovers forced per game, turnovers per game, and winning percent.
• Enters the game ranked in the Top 25 in five NCAA statistical categories - 1st in turnover margin (12.95), 2nd in scoring defense (51.5), 5th in turnovers per game (11.1), 6th in steals per game (14.8), and 9th in turnovers forced per game (24.09),
• 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 13.0 ppg. and steals with 60. She is tied for an SLC high  2.7 spg.  She is tied for a team high 6.0 rpg. and has scored in double figures in 12 out of last 14 games. She is averaging 15.3ppg. in conference games.
• Lexi Alexander is also tied for a team high 6.0 rpg. She picked up her second double double of the season at SFA.
• Jalencia Pierre has a team high 75 assists (3.6 apg.) and is second on the team with 42 steals.  She leads the SLC and ranks 11th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (2.68).
• The Ayla Guzzardo era began with a 100-38 home win over Pensacola Christian College on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025.
• 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).
 
HCU Notes
• Enter the game 6-14 overall and 4-9 in the SLC
• Enter the game in 9th place in the standings
• Have lost three of its last four and 10 of its last 12 games
• Coming off a 63-50 road win at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi last Saturday
 
UPCOMING GAMES
Feb. 5 Houston Christian (6:30 p.m.)*
Feb. 7 Incarnate Word (1 p.m.)*
Feb. 12 at Northwestern State (6:30 p.m.)*
Feb. 14 at East Texas A&M (2:30 p.m.)
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