Halftime Report

A win for McNeese would push their record over .500, and after one quarter of play they've put themselves in a good position to make it happen. They have jumped out to a quick 28-27 lead against Louisiana. The finale is shaping up to be a lot like these teams' last head-to-head, which was decided by just two points.

If McNeese keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 6-5 in no time. On the other hand, Louisiana will have to make due with a 3-10 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

McNeese Cowboys @ Louisiana Ragin Cajuns

Current Records: McNeese 5-5, Louisiana 3-9

How To Watch

What to Know

McNeese is 1-8 against Louisiana since December of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Sunday. The two teams will compete for holiday cheer at 3:00 p.m. ET at Cajundome. The Ragin Cajuns have the home-court advantage, but the Cowboys are expected to win by 10.5 points.

McNeese will head into Saturday's game out to bounce back: they lost a heartbreaker last Saturday after a huge 34-point victory in their prior game. They fell just short of Miss. State by a score of 66-63. The contest was a 29-29 toss-up at halftime, but the Cowboys couldn't quite close it out.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Joe Charles, who went 6 for 11 en route to 19 points plus six rebounds and two blocks. The team also got some help courtesy of Brandon Murray, who almost dropped a double-double on ten points and nine rebounds.

Meanwhile, Louisiana beat App. State 68-62 on Wednesday.

McNeese's defeat dropped their record down to 5-5. As for Louisiana, their win bumped their record up to 3-9.

This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: McNeese has been crazy accurate this season, having made 48.8% of their field goals per game. It's a different story for Louisiana, though, as they've only made 41% of their field goals this season. Given McNeese's sizable advantage in that area, Louisiana will need to find a way to close that gap.

McNeese came out on top in a nail-biter against Louisiana when the teams last played back in December of 2023, sneaking past 74-72. The rematch might be a little tougher for McNeese since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.

Odds

McNeese is a big 10.5-point favorite against Louisiana, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 10.5-point spread, and stayed right there.


The over/under is 142 points.

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Series History

Louisiana has won 8 out of their last 9 games against McNeese.

  • Dec 17, 2023 - McNeese 74 vs. Louisiana 72
  • Dec 15, 2022 - Louisiana 78 vs. McNeese 70
  • Dec 08, 2021 - Louisiana 83 vs. McNeese 68
  • Dec 19, 2020 - Louisiana 75 vs. McNeese 65
  • Nov 09, 2019 - Louisiana 85 vs. McNeese 80
  • Dec 18, 2018 - Louisiana 80 vs. McNeese 67
  • Nov 28, 2017 - Louisiana 89 vs. McNeese 78
  • Dec 03, 2016 - Louisiana 92 vs. McNeese 72
  • Dec 09, 2015 - Louisiana 97 vs. McNeese 64