History meets desperation Saturday in Thibodaux.

With time running out in the Southland Conference race, Nicholls appears the last team standing in the way of McNeese State’s run to a regular season championship.

The Cowboys (22-3, 11-1) are just one win away from setting a program record for victories in a season since their move to Division I. This one season after setting the record for losses in a season, also at 23.

For the Colonels (13-11, 7-3), this is a must-win if they are to try and catch McNeese for the title. They are also just one game up on both Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Lamar in the race for the coveted second double-bye at the conference’s postseason tournament next month in the Legacy Center.

McNeese could all but clinch the first double-bye with a win today.

The Cowboys enter the 3 p.m. game in Stopher Gymnasium with a 2½ game lead over second-place Nicholls with just six remaining.

“I know if we win Saturday it puts us in a good place to win the regular season,” said McNeese head coach Will Wade. “We have to win 23 some time, Saturday would be a good time.”

McNeese will be coming off a record win last Monday night at Houston Christian. The Cowboys ran away with a 105-54 victory over the Huskies, their largest win margin (51) in Southland play.

With that, McNeese moved into the nation’s top spot in scoring margin, passing the University of Houston with a 19.2 differential.

The victory was a change from the road struggles over the past month, as McNeese had been getting off to slow starts in those games.

“We needed to play better on the road,” said Wade. “We are playing the second-best team in their place. We have to come ready to play.”

Nicholls beat Corpus Christi Monday after losing at Lamar last Saturday. However, the Colonels are 8-1 at home this season and 51-6 over the last five.

McNeese is just 4-13 all-time in Thibodaux with its last victory coming on Feb. 27, 2019.

“Nicholls is going to try and punk us,” said Wade. “They are to come after us and physically try to beat us on the boards and defense.

“They are tough and physical. It will be a very, very tough game.”

The Colonels are led by Diante Smith and Jamal West, each of whom averages 15.4 points a game. They are tied for fourth in scoring in the SLC.

“They have two very good players,” said Wade. “They are two of the top players in the league.”

The Colonels have four averaging in double digits with Rob Brown (12.4) and Byron Ireland (12.2) following the big two. They are a surprise team under first-year head coach Tevon Saddler, who was an assistant two years ago at McNeese.

The Cowboys also have four in double figures, led by guard Shahada Wells, who is second in the league at 17.3 a game. Christian Shumate follows at 12.2 and leads the league in rebounds with 9.6 boards a contest.

He is coming off the 28th double-double of his career against HCU.

Guards DJ Richards and Javohn Garcia average 11.2 and 10.4 respectively. Center Antavion Collum is close to double figures at 9.5.

McNeese continues to lead the Southland in team offense and defense, scoring at an 80.6 clip while allowing 61.4, good for fifth in the country defensively.

The Cowboys have won 17 of their last 18 games but a victory today would make their magic number to claim their first Southland title since 2011 down to one.