McNeese/Texas A&M Corpus Christi To Battle Saturday In Crucial Game In SLC Play
Just 17 days removed from a night that Cowboy fans won't soon forget as McNeese found themselves down by 18 with thirteen minutes remaining on the road in front of a National Television crowd. That was until DJ Richards gave the Cowboy faithful some hope, then everything changed... Those two teams meet again on Saturday in a MONSTER Southland Conference game.
After leading McNeese 31-30 at the Halftime break, the Islanders got out to a 20-0 run to lead the Cowboys by 18 points. DJ Richards made an immediate impact scoring and providing a huge spark off the bench. Richards hit a few treys to finally get the Pokes going in the half. McNeese was able to cut it all the way down to single-digits and then it was game on.
With 3.2 seconds remaining, Jordan Roberts of the Islanders, who led all scorers with 18 points, fouled Mike Saunders Jr., sending him to the free-throw line. Saunders made the first but missed the second off the front rim. Collum had a nice look at it initially but he missed, but never fail, Christian Shumate came to save the day and came skying in for the eventual game-winning tip.
On Saturday, the Islanders and the Cowboys will meet again for the second time in a little over three weeks. Here is how things currently look in the Southland Conference Regular Season race...
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| McNeese | 11-1 | - | 22-3 |
| Nicholls | 8-3 | 2.5 | 13-11 |
| Texas A&M CC | 7-4 | 3.5 | 14-10 |
| Lamar | 7-5 | 3.5 | 13-11 |
| SE Louisiana | 7-5 | 4 | 12-13 |
| Northwestern State | 5-7 | 6 | 7-18 |
| Houston Christian | 4-8 | 7 | 6-17 |
| Incarnate Word | 3-8 | 7.5 | 8-16 |
| Texas A&M Commerce | 3-9 | 8 | 9-16 |
| New Orleans | 3-9 | 8 | 8-17 |
So, how big is this game? The Legacy Center has been SOLD OUT since Thursday. For McNeese, if they win, they will extend their lead in the SLC Standings. Texas A&M Corpus Christi, needs a win to keep their hopes alive for 1st place in the league, but a win is needed for the Islanders to stay in contention for the BYE in the SLC Tournament.
If McNeese wants to win this game, they cannot dig themselves a hole early on in the game as they have done in the past few conference games.
NEED TO KNOW:
WHERE TO WATCH: ESPN+
TIME: 4:00
WHERE: Legacy Center (Lake Charles, LA)
TICKETS: SOLD OUT (Standing Room Only Tickets will go on-sale at 11:30)
Famous McNeese Alumni