LAKE CHARLES, La. (Interstat) — A pivotal Southland Conference rematch awaits Monday afternoon as the McNeese State Cowboys host the Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros at Burton Coliseum. The Cowboys (22-5), among the conference leaders, seek to avenge a narrow 79-76 road loss to the Vaqueros on Jan. 17. McNeese State has been formidable at home and enters on a strong run, having won five of its last six games. Their most recent result was a 75-64 victory at Northwestern State on Feb. 16. Guard Tyshawn Archie has been a consistent offensive catalyst for McNeese State. He is coming off a 24-point performance against Northwestern State and has scored in double figures in five of his last seven outings. The Vaqueros (16-12), however, arrive with confidence and momentum from a high-scoring 96-75 road win at Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday. They have won seven of their last nine games, with the only setbacks in that stretch coming against Stephen F. Austin. UTRGV’s recent surge has been fueled by guard Koree Cotton, who is averaging 16.6 points over his last seven games. He dropped 21 points in a win at New Orleans on Feb. 7 and 18 in the Saturday rout of Southeastern Louisiana. The January meeting between these teams was a shootout, suggesting another competitive affair. UTRGV’s ability to hand McNeese State one of its five losses this season proves they are a threat, but the Cowboys’ overall record and home-court advantage establish them as the favorite. This contest carries significant weight for conference tournament seeding with just two weeks remaining in the regular season. Following this game, McNeese State travels to face New Orleans on Saturday, while UTRGV returns home to host Texas A&M-Commerce. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST Monday.