Early showdown
Published 11:34 am Sunday, January 4, 2026
Cowboys host SLC-leading SFA
It’s early, but important.
The Southland Conference’s top two contenders meet Monday night for an early-season showdown inside Townsley Law Arena.
The winner of the game between McNeese State and Stephen F. Austin will get a leg up on the race for the regular season title, which the Cowboys have won the last two years.
“It’s a big game,” said McNeese head coach Bill Armstrong. “They are a very good team. It will be a challenge.”
The Cowboys are looking to build off their 82-70 win over Lamar Friday night in front of a record home crowd and on national television. McNeese is 11-3, 4-1 in the league, having won their last 26 home games against Southland opponents.
SFA enters 12-2, 5-0. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
“We will need our fans again Monday,” said Armstrong. “We have one of the best home-court advantages in the country. Our home crowd gets us going.”
The Cowboys have lost just once at home in 40 games over the last three seasons and have won 19 straight on Joe Dumars Court.
“We love to play at home,” guard Javohn Garcia said. “Our fans have been great to us.”
The Cowboys want to make sure they keep their home dominance in the conference, as they have used it to win the last two SLC postseason tournaments, earning the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
While Armstrong admitted playing at home is key to McNeese’s success, he also knows the Lumberjacks offer a real challenge to his Cowboys.
“They have a lot of talented players and are a physical team,” Armstrong said. “We will have to play our game, try to get some turnovers, and be ready.”
The Cowboys will have to try to check Keon Thompson, the third-leading scorer in the league at 17.6 points per game. But SFA is more about defense.
The Lumberjacks lead the Southland, allowing just 64.9 points behind Jerald Colonel, a 6-foot-9 senior forward who transferred from Northwestern State. He leads the conference in blocks with over three a game and is second in rebounds.
McNeese, which leads the conference in scoring and has won 19 straight games at home, is 39-1 over the last three years overall on Joe Dumars Court. The Cowboys are led by freshman Larry Johnson, who is fourth in the conference in scoring at 16.6.
The key to the Cowboys is their pressure defense, as three McNeese players are in the top seven in steals in the Southland. The Cowboys are also fifth in the country in bench scoring at just over 41 points per outing.
“We have a lot of guys who can score,” said Armstrong. “I feel like we have 10 guys who can start.”
McNeese will try to use that depth to wear down the Jacks.
