Jim Gazzolo, Special to the American Press

It wasn’t easy but McNeese State broke its five-game losing streak last weekend at Houston Baptist. If the Cowboys are to start a winning streak, it will likely be even harder.

McNeese travels to Nicholls State today for a 7 p.m. game against the red-hot Colonels, winners of seven straight and a half game behind Sam Houston State for first place in the Southland Conference.

Nicholls is 9-5 overall and 6-1 in the conference. McNeese, coming off its first win of the season against a Division I opponent, is 7-8, 1-5.

“Nicholls is a very, very tough matchup,” said McNeese head coach Heath Schroyer. “They put three guards out there who can shoot and really spread you out. They are probably the most talented team in our league.

“We are going to have to play really well to win.”

Nicholls has been on an offensive tear, averaging 94.3 points a game over the last three games. Leading the way is Ty Gordon, a redshirt junior transfer from Troy who is third in the league in assists. But he has been scoring more of late and for the second time this season was named SLC Player of the Week.

“He is really good offensively,” Schroyer said of Gordon. “He is a bigger guard who can shoot and can also penetrate and get points down low.”

McNeese will counter with its own assist man, senior guard A.J. Lawson, who leads the conference at 5.6 a game. Cowboy KeyShawn Feazell leads the league in rebounding at 10.4 per game.

“A.J. gives us another big body when he is at the point guard spot,” Schroyer said. “He is a tough matchup for the other guys.”

One thing the Cowboys have to change is their in-game lulls. Even in their recent win it was almost as if McNeese was two different teams.

The first one raced out to an early lead only to once again see a period of time when they were completely outplayed and fell behind. Again, as they have been prone to do, the Cowboys rallied, only this time they made enough plays down the stretch to win.

This is not a style which speaks well for future success.

“We have been playing better for longer periods of time,” Schroyer said. “There are moments when we have played very good basketball and moments when we have player very bad. We have to find a way to be more consistent with our good play.”

Zack Scott and and Harwin Francios, two junior transfers are starting to get healthy and their feet wet for the Cowboys, Schroyer said. That is giving them more depth.

This is the second of a five-game road stretch for the Cowboys.McNeese sports