It has been a dream season, but the Cowboys now face a new reality. 

To avoid a nightmarish finish and close the books on the best season in program history they must still win two more games.

Despite the 28-3 record and first regular-season conference title in 13 years, McNeese State has not accomplished its ultimate goal.

To do that, the Cowboys have to win two games in just 25 hours to claim the Southland Conference’s Tournament championship and with it the big prize, a trip to the NCAA Tournament next week.

“That’s always been the goal,” said McNeese guard Shahada Wells. “It’s what we all have been dreaming about.”

Wells, the Southland’s Player of the Year, is the only Cowboy to have ever played in an NCAA Tournament game, doing so last season as reserved at TCU.

“It is where we all want to get to,” said Wells. “It’s the big stage.”

But first, the Cowboys have unfinished business in their own building. McNeese will open SLC tourney play Tuesday  at 5:30 p.m. inside a sold out Legacy Center. They have earned a bye until the semifinals, where they will play No. 4 Lamar, which beat UNO 71-57 Monday night. 

“It will be a dog fight,” said Lamar forward Terry Anderson, who led all scorers against UNO with 20 points. McNeese swept Lamar (19-13) during the season, winning by just two most recently in Beaumont, Texas and by 18 in Lake Charles.

“The season comes down to 80 minutes but we have to finish it off, said Wade, who was named the League’s Coach of the Year. “We have to re-calibrate, remake ourselves and start over. It isn’t going to be easy.”

“We are ready,” said Cowboy forward Christian Shumate, who was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. “We have to stay focused and play our style of basketball.”

No question the Cowboys, the heavy favorites to claim the title, will have a target on their backs. They have received national attention by already having improved 16 games from a year ago to set a program record in wins since joining the NCAA.

That leaves some pressure on the team that is undefeated at home with a winning margin of just over 25 points a game, 19.2 in conference contests.

“Pressure is a privilege,” said head coach Will Wade, who has been in the NCAA before when he was at LSU.

“We have earned the right to be here and to have it. You would much rather have a team that has the expectations of winning than not.”

The Cowboys should be the favorites after rolling through the conference with a 17-1 mark. They also come into the tourney as by far the hottest team. 

McNeese has won its last nine games since the one-point loss at Southeastern and has won 23 of their last 24 since Thanksgiving. That doesn’t mean anything will be handed to the Cowboys though

“Tournament games are always different,” said Wade. “They usually come down to the final six minutes of each game.

“We have got to be better in our six-minute games and closing things out.”

Wells, who was also named the Southland’s Newcomer of the Year, finished second in scoring in the league at a 17.2 clip and third in field goal percentage, shooting .473. 

He was second in the conference with 142 assists across 30 games and a 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. His 88 steals led the conference and was 33 more than the next closest player. That total is also the 3rd best in the entire country.

“Hada is our guy,” said Shumate. “He makes all the big plays and does a lot of different things to get us going.”

Shumate also has had a big year. His 48 dunks led the conference as did his 9.7 rebounds per game. He has posted 12 double-doubles and has a Cowboy record 33 for his career. He has also recorded six over the last eight games.

DJ Richards (11.4) and Javohn Garcia (11.1) also average double figures for the balanced McNeese attack. 

On defense, the Cowboys allow just 61.2 points a game, tops in the Southland and fourth in the nation. Their 19-point scoring differential leads the country.

Wade knows how much getting back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002 would mean to his players and especially their fans who have embraced this program and him.

“It would be by far the best accomplishment of my career,” said Wade. “If we could pull it off I’m not sure anything I ever do after will top it.”

The next two days will be a challenge for a team that has already accomplished so much but still has more it wants to do.

And over those two days, we will find out if McNeese’s dreams do come true.