The Cowboys will play a pair of road games as they look to win their second straight regular-season Southland Conference championship.

Saturday, McNeese State will play the New Orleans Privateers at 5 p.m. in Lakefront Arena. With six games to play, the team’s magic number to clinch the title is four.

The Cowboys enter the contest 19-6, 13-1, with a three-game lead over Lamar and Southeastern. UNO is 4-21, 2-12, and desperate to stay in the race for a spot in the postseason tournament.

McNeese has been 32-2 against Southland competition the last two years and has won five straight over the Privateers. 

“We still have work to do,” said McNeese head coach Will Wade. “Everybody we play, we get their best.”

A win would give McNeese 20 victories in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2001 and 2002 campaigns. That was also the last time the Cowboys captured consecutive regular-season crowns.

After New Orleans, the Cowboys travel to Hammond on Monday for a showdown with Southeastern. If everything goes right, that could be the night they win the title and double-bye in the SLC Tournament. 

“We don’t look ahead,” said Wade. “We are about the next game. Our total focus is on New Orleans.”

The Cowboys beat UNO 86-61 in the conference opener in Lake Charles. DJ Richards hit a season-best seven 3-pointers to lead McNeese with 21 points.

Richards seemed to find his stroke last weekend again after a rough shooting patch. The junior made 8 of 16 3-pointers in the previous two games, making four in each.

I’m just happy my shots are finally going in,” said Richards. “It’s been an up-and-down year for me. My guys have been there for me and told me to keep going. That’s been great.”

Javohn Garcia scored 18 points in the December 28, 2024 victory. A total of five McNeese players scored in double figures.

James White, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds against McNeese, is not expected to play Saturday. White, who leads the SLC in scoring at 19.2 a game, missed the last five contests. 

Freshman MJ Thomas will be coming off a career-high 32 points in a loss at UIW last Monday. 

“They are a lot different team,” said Wade. “They have changed a lot of what they do on defense. We are also a lot different team.”

McNeese’s defense has led the team lately. The Cowboys have allowed just 101 points over their last two games.

“Our defense has been solid,” said Wade. 

Monday night, McNeese will try to win at Southeastern for the first time under Wade. The Lions were the only SLC team to beat McNeese last year, and the Cowboys remember this. 

Any revenge will have to wait because McNeese is only concerned about UNO right now.

“We will worry about Southeastern starting Sunday,” said Wade. 

Garcia had a career-high 26 points when the Cowboys beat the Lions 79-51 in Lake Charles. Christian Shumate had 12 points and 10 rebounds. 

Shumate is coming off one of his best games of the season. He scored 19 points and 14 rebounds in the victory over ETAM. Seventeen of those points came in the second half.

“He (Shumate) looked like his old self,” said Wade. “He played really, really good. We will need more of that down the stretch.”