INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – McNeese clinched its second straight automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship this past week after winning the Southland Conference Men's Basketball Championship. Sunday, they learned their destination and opponent for the First Round. 

The 12-seeded Cowboys will take on No. 5 Clemson Thursday in Providence, R.I.  Tip-off from Amica Mutual Pavillion is set for an approximate time of 2:15 p.m. CT. The game being broadcasted live on TruTV with Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas and Evan Washburn as the scheduled broadcast talent. Ticket information will be announced when available.
 
The winner will play the winner of the No. 4 Purdue and No. 13 High Point matchup on Saturday.
 
The Cowboys (27-6) will be making their fourth ever appearance in The Big Dance and their first in consecutive seasons. The 12-seed matches the highest that McNeese has earned, claiming that label for the second straight season. 
 
McNeese's opponent, Clemson (27-6), holds a ranking of No. 10 in the AP Poll. They finished third in the ACC regular season before falling to Louisville 76-73 in the ACC Semifinals. The Tigers will be making their 15th appearance in the tournament.
 
McNeese defeated Nicholls 63-54 to win the Southland Conference Tournament championship game and earning the conference's automatic bid. This will be the Cowboys' first matchup with Clemson in program history. They hope to avenge last year's tournament result which ended in a 86-65 defeat to Gonzaga. 
 
The Cowboys enter the postseason with an 11-game win streak.