LAKE CHARLES – The McNeese Cowgirls will go for win No. 20 on Saturday when it hosts UIW at 1 p.m. in the Townsley Law Arena.
 
Sitting at 19-4 overall, a win over the Cardinals will break two single-season school records – the fastest to 20 wins in a season through 24 games (previous record was 26 games in 2010-11). It will also mark the 13^th-consecutive win, breaking the old mark of 12 that was done twice before in 1980-81 and 2010-11.
 
McNeese is 13-1 in Southland Conference play and holds a two-game lead in the league standings over UTRGV and Lamar. The Cowgirls have won a school record 12-straight conference games as their only loss came against Northwestern State back on Dec. 15 which is also the only home loss of the season in nine games.
 
UIW will head into Saturday's game at 10-11 overall and 8-6 in the league. The Cardinals have dropped three straight games and are coming off a 74-64 loss at Southeastern on Thursday night.
 
McNeese downed HCU 83-35 on Thursday night, awarding head coach Ayla Guzzardo her 100^th career Southland Conference victory. Arianna Patton scored a career-high 23 points in the game where the Cowgirls rested freshman standout Dakota Howard after she suffered a minor injury at Lamar last Saturday. Howard is expected to play Saturday if needed.
 
The Cowgirls possess one of the top defensive teams in the nation, ranking No. 1 in turnover margin (13.13), No. 2 in scoring defense (50.8 ppg), sixth in steals per game (14.9), and eighth in turnovers forced per game (24.2).
 
Individually, Howard leads the conference in total steals (60) and steals per game (2.73), while on offense, the freshman tops the league in field goal shooting at 50 percent. She's also tied for seventh in scoring with 13 points per game, which leads the team.
 
Saturday's game will be the 19^th in the series against UIW with the Cardinals leading 10-8. McNeese defeated UIW 74-53 back on December 29 in San Antonio. Howard recorded her second career 20-point game in that contest, finishing with 20 points in 19 minutes of action. Tyreona Sibley added 18.
 
Following Saturday's game, the Cowgirls will hit the road for the next two, first with a visit to Northwestern State on Thursday then at East Texas A&M on Saturday.