Two teams coming off different weeks find themselves in exactly the same spot.

McNeese State’s two basketball squads enter the final three weeks of the season with 4-5 Southland Conference records. They are both in fourth place, sitting in the last position for a postseason bye.

While each have gotten here in different ways, the result is the same. Five games remain with just two at home. Yet both teams hold their own future in their hands.

“The bye is a huge deal,” said Cowboys basketball coach John Aiken. “The last thing you want to do is play four games in four days.”

His Cowgirl counterpart agrees.

“We hold all the games for the bye, but we have to play better,” said McNeese women’s head coach Lynn Kennedy. “We have to step up and understand what is at stake.”

What’s at stake is the road to the SLC championship and automatic NCAA tournament bid.

“That is what we are all playing for,” said Aiken. “We saw at the preseason tournament how much playing three games in as many days can take out of you. Four would be even tougher.”

Both programs are under first year coaches and trying to set new standards. And each one has suffered through some growing pains.

The upcoming week will be different as well.

The men’s team will be facing the two best clubs in the conference when it travels to Nicholls on Thursday and New Orleans Saturday. Nicholls is currently in second place with UNO leading. They have a combine league record of 14-3.

The Cowboys are just 1-2 against them, having beaten UNO in the preseason tourney.

“We got the two heavy hitters ahead of us,” said Aiken. “We have to play our best. This will be a big test for us.

“I think we are in a good position for four spot and we are not out of the race for the two if things go right. But we have to win some games.”

The week looks easier for the Cowgirls.

They play the bottom two teams in the standings when they play the same schedule as the men.

Nicholls and New Orleans have won just three games in 17 league outings and lost two recently in Lake Charles.

“We have to get back to the basics and take care of business,” said Kennedy. “The playoffs really begin now.

“The percentage of winning the tournament go way down if you have to win four games in four days.”

Both McNeese teams have five games remaining to make sure they don’t have to go that path.