After four straight Southland Conference wins have positioned the Northwestern State women’s basketball team to push for their best regular-season finish in nine seasons, the Demons (12-10 overall, 9-4 in the SLC) are exactly where they want to be.
That’s playing at home in Prather Coliseum, beginning tonight at 6:30, in the arena where NSU has won seven of its nine games and four of five during Southland play.
The fourth-place Demons open a stretch of five of the final seven at home, starting this evening when they welcome second-place Lamar (15-7, 10-3) for a monster contest in the SLC standings. NSU stays home Saturday afternoon, hosting third-place Stephen F. Austin at 1 in a two-game span that provides a golden opportunity to climb in the conference race.
Fourth-year coach Anna Nimz already has guided this team to the program’s most Southland wins since the 2015-16 squad went 19-13 overall and 13-5 for second in the Southland standings. She is hoping NSU supporters will come to Prather tonight and in the following four home games to provide a bigger homecourt advantage. Those who can’t make it to the arena can watch on ESPN+.
“We have our true loyal followers, but we need some more people to recognize the run we’re on,” Nimz said. “We have some kids who are really lighting it up and that is fun for people to watch. We want to have a good following from the town. The girls are doing their part and winning and now all of us can support them and helping us protect Prather.
“Obviously, it is awesome to finish with five of seven at home. It puts you in good position to make a run down the stretch heading into the conference tournament.”
Northwestern sits just one game back of Lamar for second place, as the conference is tightly packed from second to fifth place. Four teams are separated by just a game and a half.
While Northwestern has been a force at home, it also has done well away from Prather, coming off three consecutive road wins by an average of 14.3 points per game.
Saturday, the Demons posted a dominant victory at McNeese, winning 80-56. Senior point guard Mya Blake, who scored 42 points in last week’s road wins at McNeese and fifth-place Nicholls, is the reigning Southland Conference Player of the Week.
In the first meeting between Northwestern and Lamar, Blake dropped in 25 points but the Cardinals pulled out a four-point win at home despite NSU getting two shots in the final 20 seconds to take the lead.
While Blake is the leading the conference in scoring (17.2 ppg), Lamar’s Sabria Dean is right behind her, recording 16.2 points per game.
The Demons and Cardinals are two of the top three teams in the league in scoring defense during conference games, both surrendering fewer than 57 points per game.
The two teams also are two of the top three in field goal percentage defense in league games with Northwestern taking the top spot, allowing teams to just shoot 33.9 percent from the floor and 21.9 percent from deep.
“Our defense is the top in the Southland and top nationally in different categories,” Nimz said. “We really hang our hat on our defense and discipline and following scouts. These have been team wins and everybody is really settling into their roles.”
