SALT LAKE CITY – Thursday we find out if the glass slipper fits these Cowboys or if midnight strikes on their trip to the Ball.

Making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 22 years, McNeese State hopes to become the latest Cinderella story in college basketball.

The 12th-seeded Cowboys open play in the Midwest Regional against No. 5 Gonzaga inside the Delta Center. Tip-off is set for 6:25 p.m. Lake Charles time on TBS.

The winner will play the victor of the late game between No. 4 Kansas and No. 13 Samford on Saturday. 

“Anything is possible for us,” said McNeese guard Shahada Wells. “We don’t want to be here just to be here. We want to win games.”

The two teams enter the showdown from very different angles. For the Zags (25-7) this is old hat.

This is Gonzaga’s 26th trip to the tournament, including the last 25. That’s the third-longest active streak. They have made it to the title game twice.

McNeese is the complete opposite. This is just the third trip for the 30-3 Cowboys and first since 2002. They are 0-2 all-time.

A year ago the Zags were headed to the Elite Eight while McNeese had finished losing a program-record 23 games. While the Bulldogs expected to be here the Cowboys are easily the newcomers.

“It is crazy,” said McNeese forward Christian Shumate, the only starter back for the Cowboys. “Never thought this was possible. 

“I have seen the other side. I know how dark it can be. Now that I see the light I don’t want it to end.”

For that to happen the Cowboys will have to play big with a smaller lineup. Most of the time Gonzaga will have the three tallest players on the floor in Braden Huff and Ben Gregg, both 6-foot-10 and 6-9 Graham Ike, who was just named honorable mention AP All-American.

When asked how he would combat the Zags’ size, Wade said, “Pray.”

“They are big and physical,” said Wade. “They are also fast. They have size and speed, we have to get back. They are huge and we need to use our quickness.”

McNeese has a defense that can cause problems. The Cowboys are fifth in the country in points allowed, giving up just 61.5 points a game.

Gonzaga is seventh in scoring at 84.9. It will clearly be a clash in styles.

“We are prepared for quite a battle,” said Bulldog head coach Mark Few. “Two very different teams. McNeese does some unique things on defense you don’t see very often.”

Both teams come in hot. The Zags have won 14 of their last 16.

The Cowboys are even hotter, having won 25 of 26, including 11 in a row. They have just one loss since Thanksgiving.

Over the last five games, McNeese has outscored its opponents by 100 points and lead the nation in scoring margin at plus-18.

Graham leads four Zags scoring in double figures at 16.7 points and 7.2 rebounds. Guard Anton Watson is next at 14.4.

McNeese also has four players averaging double digits with Wells the leader at 17.8. The Southland Conference Player of the Year also averages 4.5 boards and 4.8 assists a game. He is also second in the country with 2.97 steals an outing.

“Wells can turn you over,” said Few. “We have to take care of the ball.”

Shumate is next at 11.7 points and 9.5 rebounds, which is 30th in the land. Javohn Garcia and DJ Richards both average 11.4 while hitting from the outside.

McNeese is seventh in the country in three-point shooting percentage, making 38.83% of its long-range shots.

Five Cowboys are shooting at better than 40% on their three-point attempts led by Garcia and Richards. Garcia shoots .455 from behind the arc while Richards comes off the bench to hit .452%. 

“They are both very good shooters and we are going to make those shots,” said Wade. “I think they both should have made the all-league team. I don’t know what our coaches were thinking.”

The Cowboys will try to use their defense and shooting to pull off the upset.

“We have a high belief,” said Shumate. “We want to do more than just be here. We are going to leave it all out there.”

And start their own Cinderella run.