LAKE CHARLES – McNeese is heading to the Sooner state.
 
The 12^th-seeded McNeese Cowboys will go up against No. 5 Vanderbilt on Thursday in Oklahoma City in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
The game will be played at the Paycom Center and will tip-off at 2:15 CT on TruTV with the commentating team of Brandon Gaudin, Chris Webber, and Andy Katz.
 
It's the third straight season for the Cowboys to be dancing as the No. 12 seed.
 
McNeese (28-5) won its third-consecutive Southland Conference Tournament championship to claim the league's automatic bid. Vanderbilt (26-8) earned an at-large bid and placed fourth in the SEC. The Commodores, who are ranked 22^nd in the nation, fell to Arkansas in Sunday's SEC Tournament championship game.
 
Thursday's game will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools on the hardwood. The winner will play the winner between No. 4 Nebraska and No. 13 Troy.
 
McNeese, who will ride a 10-game winning streak into the postseason, will be making its third straight and fifth overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament and has compiled a 1-4 overall record. The Cowboys stunned No. 5-seed Clemson last year to claim the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament win.
 
Vanderbilt defeated Tennessee and No. 1 Florida in the SEC Tournament on its way to the title game against Arkansas where it fell 86-75. The Commodores will be making their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 17^th overall. The No. 5 seed is the highest for Vanderbilt since 2012.
 
The Commodores' 26 wins on the year matched the school record for most entering the NCAA Tournament, joining the 2007-08 and 1992-93 teams.