Lake Charles, Louisiana (KNGT-FM) -The final week of the regular season has arrived, and just as expected, the McNeese Cowboys still have plenty at stake heading into the last weekend. There’s still a slim path to securing the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament — and possibly claiming a share of the regular season championship.

Last weekend was a big one for McNeese, as the Cowboys secured at least the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament with wins over two of the conference’s top teams. McNeese defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on national television and followed with a win over UTRGV, which had won 10 of its previous 11 games.

READ MORE: Amir “Aura” Khan Releases New Walk-Out Video

McNeese Athletics

McNeese Athletics

The Cowboys have now won six straight games, their longest Division I winning streak of the season. “It shows we’re playing as well as we’ve played all year,” Armstrong said. “You want to be playing your best in March. That’s when it matters most.”

At times, the offense goes into dry spells, and Bill Armstrong thinks they’ve got to find a way to push the ball more. “We’ve got to push the ball more, even on makes,” he said. “That starts with me. We need to get into our offense quicker and create better shots.”

Despite shooting struggles, McNeese has continued to win, and that has everything to do with their defense. “To shoot under 23 percent in two games and still get two good wins — that’s a testament to our defense,” Armstrong said. “That’s been our identity all year.”

Larry Johnson has been one of the best freshmen in the country. For instance, for years, everyone said the Joe Dumars freshman scoring record would never be broken, but Larry Johnson is now just 38 points away from taking down that scoring record.

READ MORE: McNeese Baseball Set to Open SLC Play at Nicholls

McNeese Cowboys Basketball Game with TAMU-CC 2026

McNeese Cowboys Basketball Game with TAMU-CC 2026McNeese Set To Face Red Hot Privateers on Saturday

Now, McNeese will turn their focus to the final weekend of the regular season as they head to New Orleans to take on the Privateers, who have been red hot over the last few weeks and have worked their way into the current 3-seed in the Southland Conference standings.

New Orleans is led by senior Coleton Benson, one of the top scorers in the Southland, averaging 16.3 points per game. Transfer Jakevion Buckley and MJ Thomas have been good for the Privateers as well, both averaging double-figures on the season.

“Coleton’s a great scorer. Guys like that are going to get points,” Armstrong said. “We’ve just got to make him work for everything. If he scores 25, it needs to be on 20-plus shots, not 15.”

Armstrong added, “They have strengths that attack our weaknesses, and we have strengths that attack theirs. Whoever wins those matchups within the game will have the best shot.”

McNeese will travel to take on New Orleans on Saturday, with tip-off slated for 5:00. Fans can stream the game on ESPN+.

Top 10 Drunkest Cities In Louisiana