HAMMOND, La. – Southland Conference schools have already pulled off a pair of upsets to start the 2016-17 season as Nicholls won at Boston College and Lamar took a victory at Oregon State.
 
    Southeastern Louisiana head coach Jay Ladner does not see why his squad cannot do the same on its three-game swing to UTEP, Colorado State and California this week.
 
    "As the program has continued to grow, I think we've gone from establishing the fact that we can win to now it's time to go win some of these type of games," Ladner said. "I was disappointed we didn't beat Tulane (a 93-76 loss on Nov. 14). We were right in that game and I think the players are disappointed, too. The days of Southeastern going to play the higher-level conference schools and being happy with just playing with them is over with. The changing of our thought process – winning teams, successful people, successful programs, think big. It's time for us to beat a UTEP, a Colorado State, a Cal. It could happen. It's already happened so far this season. But you have to have the mindset to go do that."
 
    The quest begins with a 8 p.m. (CDT) tip-off at UTEP in the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas on Wednesday. The game between the Lions (3-1) and Miners (2-2) will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9), online at www.LionSports.net/listenlive and via the TuneIn Radio app.
 
    Live video (utepathletics.com - subscription required) and live stats, provided by UTEP, will be accessible on the men's basketball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
 
    Southeastern is off to its best start since the 2011-12 season after defeating Xavier-New Orleans, 89-72, on Monday night. The Lions did not get their third win in 2015-16 until their 18th game. Southeastern has not started a season 4-1 since the 2010-11 season.
 
    The Lions will also be out to break a 19-game non-conference road losing streak. Southeastern has not beaten a non-conference opponent at its place since an 80-76 win at UT Martin on Jan. 9, 2013, going 0-10 in 2014-15 and 0-8 in 2015-16. The Lions lost at Tulane, 93-76, in the second game of this season.
 
    Southeastern is coming off its 10th straight home win on Monday as sophomore forward Moses Greenwood had a career-high 23 points. He also had 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season and third of his career. Freshman guard Chris Mejia also had a career-best 17 points, hitting six of his seven shots, including five of six 3-point attempts.
 
    Junior guard Davon Hayes eclipsed his career best with 17 points. Sophomore guard Marlain Veal, the reigning Southland Conference Player of the Week, tied a career high with nine assists while tossing in 14 points.
 
    Senior forward Jordan Capps, who has missed the previous two games with an injury, still leads Southeastern with 22 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Veal is averaging 19.5 points to go with 21 assists and 10 steals. Greenwood, increased his average to 17.0 points and 6.5 rebounds a contest.
 
    Hayes is also averaging in double figures with 10.8 points. Senior center Dominic Nelson (6.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg) is the team's leader in blocks (six). The Lions are averaging 83.5 points per game on 54.5 percent shooting and are plus-9.3 in rebounding margin.
 
    Defensively, Southeastern is allowing opponents 68.8 points a contest on 42.2 percent shooting and have forced 66 turnovers, 29 coming on steals.
 
    Veal, Nelson, Greenwood, Hayes and junior guard Jabbar Singleton (5.5 ppg, 16 assists) will be the Lions' starters for the third straight game on Wednesday. Coming off the bench will be Mejia, junior guards Eddy Polanco and George Brock, sophomore guard Dimi Cook and freshman guard Michael Corchiani. 
 
    UTEP (2-2) is returning three starters from its 2015-16 team that went 19-14 overall and finished sixth in Conference USA at 10-8. Tim Floyd is in his seventh season as head coach of the Miners.
 
    Headlining the returnees is senior guard Dominic Artis who leads the Miners with 16.8 points and 7.0 rebounds a game, 31 assists and eight steals. He was named the conference Player of the Week after averaging 19.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists at the Gildan Charleston Tournament over the weekend.
 
    Junior guard Omega Harris, another returnee, is averaging 16.3 points a contest. Junior center Matt Willms, who missed the final 31 games of last season with a foot injury, is also averaging in double figures with 14.0 points per game.

    Junior forward Jake Flaggert (5.8 ppg) and sophomore Paul Thomas (4.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg) are the other projected starters for UTEP.
 
    The Miners come in averaging 77.0 points on 51.2 percent shooting, including 35.7 percent on 3s. UTEP is allowing 73.2 points on 42.9 percent shooting. The Miners have a plus-5.5 rebounding margin (36.8-31.3) and a 1.1 assist/turnover ratio.
 
    The Miners are coming off a 61-54 loss to Mississippi State at the Gildan Charleston Tournament. Artis had a team-high 15 points while Willms recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
 
    UTEP has won all three meetings with Southeastern - 78-64 in 1997, 76-67 in 2007 and 80-62 in 2014 - all in El Paso.                                               
 
    Southeastern travels to Colorado State for a 3 p.m. tip-off on Friday.