Cowboys Look to Keep Rolling Against Rival Northwestern State Monday Night

Natchitoches, Louisiana (KNGT-FM) - For those in Cowboy Country, the Mardi Gras festivities will have to be on hold for a little bit longer as the McNeese Cowboys are set for another matchup with longtime Southland Conference rival Northwestern State Monday Night.

McNeese State put together one of its best performances of the conference season on Saturday as it dominated the Lions in Commerce.

It was all but over before it ever even got started. The Cowboys had a 45–29 lead at halftime, and never looked back, improving to 21–5 overall and 14–3 in Southland Conference play.

The reigning Southland Conference Player of the Year, Javohn Garcia, led the Cowboys with 21 points, hitting a career-high five three-pointers, while DJ Richards added 15 points with five threes of his own as the team knocked down a season-best 14 shots from beyond the arc.

With the win over ETAM, McNeese was able to continue to strengthen its hold on the conference's #2 seed in the conference tournament coming up March 8-12.

Defensively, McNeese continues to set the tone. The Cowboys rank among the nation’s best in forcing turnovers, steals, and blocked shots. Their pressure defense has led to 10 or more steals in 15 games this season and helped them win 16 games by double digits.

Now the Cowboys quickly turn their attention to a longtime conference rival, Northwestern State, on Monday Night.

The Demons are led by guard Micah Thomas, who is the team’s top scorer at 16.9 points per game and one of the most dangerous shooters in the Southland Conference. He can score from anywhere on the floor and gets to the free-throw line often, shooting over 91 percent.

Inside, Willie Williams gives NSU a strong presence in the paint, averaging 9.3 points and a team-best 8.6 rebounds per game while shooting over 60 percent from the field.

Northwestern State comes in at 8-18 overall and 6-11 in conference play, currently holding onto the final Southland Conference Tournament spot. The Demons are coming off a close 69-66 win over Southeastern Louisiana behind 26 points from Micah Thomas and will look to use home-court energy to pull off a big upset. NSU has been solid at home this season, posting a 6-5 record in Natchitoches.

The last time these teams met, McNeese rolled to a 92-54 win in Lake Charles on Dec. 5. The Cowboys have won six straight games in the series and own a slight 74-69 edge all-time.

McNeese - Northwestern State Battle on Monday Night

The McNeese Cowboys wrap up a weekend road swing Monday night when they travel to face the Northwestern State Demons in a key Southland Conference matchup. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. inside Prather Coliseum. The game can be seen on ESPN+.