It has been a half-century since the Cowboys started a season like this.

For just the second time in program history, McNeese State has begun a year by winning 17 of their first 19 games.

Saturday against New Orleans the Cowboys will try to set a new standard for the program. They will also look to close in on another record with their 13th straight victory.

The program’s win streak is 14 and was set back during the 2001-02 season, which was also the last time McNeese made it to the NCAA Tournament.

At the very least the Cowboys hope that history repeats itself on that front, but they are also looking to make more on their own.

McNeese can equal the record for consecutive wins by following up a victory over UNO by then knocking off Northwestern State for the second time this season on Monday. The game against the Demons is also in the Legacy Center.

“We are going to knock down a lot of those milestones this year,” guard Shahada Wells said earlier this season.

He has been proven to be right. It is something this team has embraced, understanding they are setting a foundation for other McNeese teams to follow.

“We want to be the team people are chasing history against,” said sharp-shooting guard DJ Richards. “We want to be remembered.”

The Cowboys are doing that.

They currently are off to the eighth-best start in Southland Conference history. Two more wins would not only tie the Pokes’ all-time winning streak but also would move their start up to sixth in the league’s history.

Sam Houston State holds the best mark at 32-2 during the 2013-14 campaign.

“It says a lot about our team,” head coach Will Wade said of the start. “There is a reason it hasn’t been done here in a long time. It is extremely challenging to do.”

Especially now as everybody is coming after the Cowboys. They needed a tip-in by Christian Shumate with under a second to play to beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi last Monday.

Yet these Cowboys seem driven as much by the games they lost as those they have ahead of them.

“We got two games that haunt us to this day,” said Richards. “The start has been amazing. Not every game has been easy, but we think we should be 19-0.”

McNeese’s two losses are both on the road. They fell by two to Western Carolina and nine at Louisiana Tech. The Tech loss was the last time the Cowboys were defeated and came the day before Thanksgiving.

Both losses occurred while Wade was serving his 10-game NCAA suspension to start the season. McNeese is 7-0 with Wade on the sidelines.

For those looking ahead, there are 12 games left in the regular season and two SLC postseason Tournament contests likely ahead. Winning out would give the Cowboys a 33-2 record heading into the NCAA tourney.

Wade doesn’t want to hear any of that.

“We have to get better,” said Wade. “It’s hard to win every conference game.”

For Cowboys fans, it is something to dream about.

Best starts in Southland Conference History

Team Start Pct. Season

1. SFA 32-2 .941 2013-14

2. La. Tech 28-2 .933 1984-85

3. ULL 18-1 .917 1972-73

4. SFA 21-2 .913 2012-13

4. ULL 21-2 .913 1971-72

6. La. Tech 19-2 .906 1971-72

7. SFA 18-2 .900 2003-04

8. McNeese 17-2 .895 2023-24

8. McNeese 17-2 .895 1973-74

10. SFA 20-2 .870 2014-15