McNeese Hosting TAMCC With Chance To Wrap Up Conference

McNeese State enters one of the final few weekends of Southland Conference Play chasing a title as early as Saturday and potentially Monday. The Cowboys could lock up the Regular Season crown and the coveted #1 seed in the conference tournament. This weekend, Texas A&M Corpus Christi comes to town for a massive matchup inside the Legacy Center in Lake Charles.

The Cowboys could capture the Conference Title with a win and a little help from Lamar. McNeese currently holds a 3-game lead in the conference and a win over TAMCC and a Lamar win over Houston Christian would make McNeese fans have to wait until Monday's game against UTRGV to celebrate. A win for McNeese and if Houston Christian beats Lamar on Saturday, the party is on in Lake Charles.

Fresh off victories over Southeastern and New Orleans, McNeese has already locked up a coveted double-bye in the conference tournament. But for Head Coach Will Wade, the focus remains on the next goal—finishing at the top of the standings.

"We didn’t even know we had the double-bye until Jim (Jim Gazzolo - Lake Charles American Press) told us after the game," Wade joked. "First, you want to qualify for the tournament. Then you want the double-bye. Now, we want to be the No. 1 seed and win the whole damn thing."

The Cowboys, now on a roll, understand that every opponent they face will be fighting for their own tournament positioning. "Everybody’s chasing a seed. We’re going to get their best shot," Wade said. "We’ve got to control what we can control—winning games."

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi enters the weekend with a 17-11 record overall and a 10-6 mark in Southland Conference play. The Islanders are still in the hunt for a high seed and will be eager to spoil McNeese’s plans.

Corpus has given McNeese trouble in recent years, with the Cowboys narrowly escaping with a one-point win in their first matchup this season in Corpus.

“Corpus has played us as well as anyone in the league,” Wade said. “They’re tough, they’re physical, and they’ve got a great coach.” He expects Saturday’s game in Lake Charles to feel like a playoff atmosphere. “It’ll be a conference tournament-type game. They’ve been banged up, but I expect them to be at full strength.”

One of McNeese’s biggest challenges will be limiting Corpus Christi’s star players. “Roberts hurt us last time with threes, and Clark always plays well against us,” Wade said. “We’ve got to be better at defending one-on-one and keeping them from driving into the paint.”