The Northwestern State Demons basketball team gets back to action tonight at 6:30 when it returns to Mike McConathy Court at Prather Coliseum to host Lamar in Northwestern’s Southland Conference home opener.
The game will air on ESPN+ and can be heard on The Demon Sports Network, flagshipped by 100.7 KZBL in Natchitoches.
Northwestern (3-8 overall, 1-1 in the SLC) enters the matchup riding momentum after closing its non-conference schedule with a dominant 108–55 victory over Southern-New Orleans on Dec. 20, the final game ahead of Christmas break.
“Our guys have been getting after it in practice,” third-year head coach Rick Cabrera said. “I told them before Christmas break, ‘It’s easier to get out of shape than to get in shape.’ Just be prepared when you get back after three days, because your body’s not going to respond the same way. It took them a couple of practices to get after it, but our guys are really locked in and ready to play somebody else.”
Ahead of the break, the Demons turned in one of their most complete performances of the season, showcasing depth, defensive pressure, and balanced scoring throughout the lineup.
Sophomore guard Justin Redmond led the way with a career-high 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while senior Micah Thomas matched him with 20 points of his own.
The win highlighted Northwestern’s depth, as every Demon who saw the floor scored.
Tonight’s contest brings a familiar Southland foe to Natchitoches.
Lamar (5-6, 0-2) arrives following an 85–82 overtime loss to Omaha on Dec. 20, a game in which the Cardinals mounted a second-half rally that ultimately came up short. That was the fourth of four straight losses for the Cardinals.
“They’re coming off a tough stretch of four straight losses,” Cabrera said. “This is a really good basketball team. I think they return the most minutes in the league. I think we were second. When it comes to conference play, I think they’ll be a lot better. We need to strap on our seatbelts and be ready to go.”
Northwestern plays the first of 20 straight conference games to close out the regular season.
“These games matter,” Cabrera said. “It’s all about winning right now. I’m glad we get to start at home, and hopefully we take care of home court. With our two conference games we played, we’ve been preaching the importance of how much these games matter. It’s about winning these games. The getting better part – of course you always have to get better every day in practice and every game – that language is for the non-conference. Everything we do is about winning.”