THIBODAUX, La. – With only five games left on the regular season schedule, the Nicholls State University men's basketball team will begin its final home stretch on Saturday as the Colonels look to sweep McNeese State in their first of three consecutive games at Stopher Gym.

Tipoff against the Cowboys (8-17, 6-7) is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN 100.3 FM and KLEB 1600 AM, and a live video feed is available on Colonels All-Access.

Nicholls (10-12, 7-6) heads into the matchup with a four-game losing streak, but all four losses came on the road. In the Colonels' last outing, the Red and Gray came up a bit short in a 71-66 loss at Southeastern Louisiana, despite a conference-high nine 3-pointers.

Seniors Dantrell Thomas and Jeremy Smith continue to pace the offense, leading the team in scoring at 16.6 and 13.6 points, respectively. Against the Lions, Smith scored a team-high 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, and Thomas finished with 15 points, making 5-of-8 from the field.

While the Colonels have struggled on the road, they have been nearly unbeatable at Stopher, posting a 7-1 record. Since falling to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Nicholls defeated Oral Roberts in overtime, 73-72, before knocking off Central Arkansas, 78-67.

One of the Colonels' wins away from home came on Jan. 21 in an 87-79 overtime win at McNeese. Thomas poured in a game-high 27 points, with Smith adding 25.

The Cowboys come into the game at 6-7 in the Southland, which puts them in seventh place of the teams eligible for postseason. McNeese has lost five of its last seven, but defeated New Orleans last Sunday, 72-69.

Ledrick Eackles leads the Cowboys, averaging 16.2 points per game. Eackles has led the team in scoring in four straight games, including 20 points in the win over UNO. Kevin Hardy is second in points with 10.9, followed by Desharick Guidry with 10.6 ppg.