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McNeese State is set to face North Texas in Denton after both teams opened the season with wins on Monday. The Cowboys beat UAB 99-78 behind Larry Johnson’s career-high 31 points; North Texas defeated Southwestern Christian 122-50.
McNeese State will visit North Texas in Denton on Friday afternoon after both teams won their season openers Monday. The Cowboys (1-0), led by Larry Johnson’s career-high 31 points in a 99-78 win over UAB, face a Mean Green team that opened with a 122-50 victory over Southwestern Christian.
Johnson’s scoring performance set a career best as McNeese began its season with a 21-point win over UAB in the Field of 68 tournament in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The Cowboys shot well from the perimeter and made 11 of 15 three-pointers. Elijah “Choppa” Moore scored 15 points, all on threes, while reserve Jaylon Dean-Vines added a career-high 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
McNeese also held a 33-26 rebounding advantage and outscored UAB 44-24 in the paint. Christian Nitu led the Cowboys with six rebounds, and Jerrell Colbert recorded four of the team’s eight blocked shots. McNeese scored 18 points off 14 UAB turnovers and added 18 second-chance points, according to the American Press report.
North Texas opened with a 72-point win over Southwestern Christian, a non-NCAA opponent. Freshman Aeneas Alexander led the Mean Green with 22 points. Cash Chavis scored 17, Amar Amkou had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Je’Shawn Stevenson contributed 15 points and five assists. Stevenson was voted the AAC preseason player of the year.
McNeese Tests Its Fast Start
The matchup gives McNeese an early test against a fellow 1-0 team and a chance to see whether its opening-night shooting and defensive pressure carry over against another opponent. The Cowboys’ performance against UAB addressed an offseason concern identified by head coach Bill Armstrong: rebounding. Their seven-rebound margin and advantage in the paint offer an encouraging first result, though one game is limited evidence of a lasting improvement.
North Texas presents a different challenge from UAB, with scoring spread among several players and contributions from both freshmen and veterans. Its opening win came against a non-NCAA school, so the game against McNeese will provide a more informative early comparison. The American Press report identifies McNeese as the first of three consecutive North Texas opponents that played in the postseason last year.
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Opening Results and Series History
McNeese entered the season as the three-time defending Southland Conference champion. The Cowboys’ win over UAB extended their run to nine consecutive regular-season victories, dating to last season, according to the report. Johnson has scored in double figures in 31 of his 35 career games.
Friday’s meeting will be the teams’ third matchup. The series is tied, and McNeese won the most recent game, 68-61, in Lake Charles on Nov. 18, 2024. North Texas lost both of its exhibition games before the season, falling 62-60 at home to Northwestern State and 67-64 at Colorado; those results preceded its official 122-50 opener.
McNeese’s win over UAB featured an early response after the Blazers made five of their first six shots and took a 15-6 lead. Johnson scored nine straight points, then Moore hit a three-pointer during a 12-0 Cowboys run. McNeese led 44-35 at halftime and continued to shoot efficiently after the break.
Questions Before Tipoff
The supplied report does not provide a tipoff time, broadcast information, injury updates or projected lineups. It also does not report comments from either coach or player, so there are no direct quotations to include. North Texas’ large opening margin came against a non-NCAA opponent, leaving its performance against a team with McNeese’s early-season profile untested.
McNeese’s first game showed strong perimeter accuracy, but the team’s 11-for-15 three-point shooting is a result from a single contest and does not establish how consistently the Cowboys will shoot from outside. Whether they can maintain that accuracy and their rebounding edge against North Texas remains to be seen.
Friday’s Denton Matchup
The next scheduled step is the afternoon game in Denton, where McNeese will try to extend its regular-season winning streak and North Texas will seek a second win. The supplied report does not specify a tipoff time or how the game will be carried.
After the matchup, both teams will continue their early-season schedules. For McNeese, the result will provide a first comparison against North Texas after its opening win over UAB; for the Mean Green, the game begins a stretch against three consecutive opponents that reached the postseason last year, according to the report.
Key Questions
When and where do McNeese State and North Texas play?
The teams are scheduled to meet in the afternoon on Nov. 6, 2026, in Denton, Texas. The supplied report does not give an exact tipoff time.
How did McNeese perform in its season opener?
McNeese beat UAB 99-78 in the Field of 68 tournament. Larry Johnson scored a career-high 31 points, and the Cowboys made 11 of 15 three-point attempts.
How did North Texas open its season?
The Mean Green defeated Southwestern Christian 122-50. Freshman Aeneas Alexander led North Texas with 22 points.
What is the series record between the teams?
The series is tied entering this game. McNeese won the latest meeting, 68-61, on Nov. 18, 2024, in Lake Charles.
What details about the game have not been provided?
The supplied report does not list the exact tipoff time, broadcast details or injury information. It also does not include direct quotations from coaches or players.
Source: americanpress.com
