A suspicious person call resulted in the arrest of a Natchitoches Parish man wanted by the 10th Judicial District Court and on felony drug charges according to Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Stuart Wright.

On Sunday evening, March 8, 2026, at approximately 6:20pm, Deputies assigned to the NPSO Patrol Operations Bureau were dispatched by NATCOM 911 Center to a possible residential burglary in the 300 block of Cedar Grove Drive, south of Natchitoches.

The caller reported that a male suspect riding a bicycle appeared to be attempting to make entry into the rear of a green and white mobile home.

Deputies arrived on scene where they located the bicycle and a male later identified as 60-year-old Milford Earl Wilson Jr. of Natchitoches.

According to reports, when deputies asked Wilson what he was doing, he responded that he and others allegedly were about to begin demolition of the mobile home and he was just looking over the structure. Wilson also informed the responding deputy that he believed there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

A local warrants check confirmed an outstanding 10th Judicial District Court Bench Warrant on Wilson for Failure to Appear in Court on June 18, 2025, on the charge of Gross Littering.
Wilson was placed under arrest without incident.

While placing handcuffs on Wilson, the deputy observed a cellophane bag containing suspected narcotics in plain view on his person. An ensuing search incidental to the arrest resulted in the discovery and seizure of two cellophane bags containing approximately 3.4 grams of suspected methamphetamine.

Deputies transported Wilson to the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center for booking. While there, medical staff observed a pre-existing wound to his lower left leg. Wilson was transported to Natchitoches Regional Medical Center where he was treated and released by medical staff.

Shortly after being released, Wilson was transported back to the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center where he was booked on the charges of:
• Failure to Appear for Gross Littering
• Possession of CDS Schedule II – Methamphetamine

Wilson remains in the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center awaiting bond.

The seized evidence will be submitted to the crime lab for analysis. Deputy Cpl. T. Freeman made the arrest.

Sheriff Stuart Wright stated, “We would like to thank the concerned citizen who reported the suspicious activity. The quick actions of alert residents and deputies working together helps us prevent potential crimes and remove illegal drugs from our communities. We encourage all residents to report suspicious activity to the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-357-7851. Working together helps keep our parish safe.”

This year’s 11th Annual Pub Crawl will take place on Saturday, March 14 from 4:00p.m. to 10:00p.m. in downtown Natchitoches. This event will happen rain or shine. There will be five (5) pub crawl stops in addition to musical acts, food trucks and vendors on Front Street. Each crawler who registers will receive a goody bag and wristband entitling them to drink and appetizer specials and 2 free beers at the red beer truck. IDs will be checked at the registration/packet pick up table and at the beer truck.

A costume contest will be held at 6:00 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for best male costume and best female costume. Additionally, there will be first, second and third place prizes for the best pub crawl poker hand. All cards must be turned in by 8:30pm. The winners will be announced at 9:00pm. To register please visit ­­­­­­­­­­https://FAUNAPubCrawl2026.eventbrite.com.

Our packet pick-up party will be Friday, March 13 from 4-6pm at Flying Heart Brewery. We will have door prizes as well as Trail Boss free lunch coupons for the lucky first few who pick up their packets.

If you would like to sponsor this event, participate as a vendor or volunteer, please contact FAUNA Board Member Kathy Owsley at katcamcal@yahoo.com or text 318-471-6624.

Below is the schedule of events:

3:30 – Packet pick-up begins

4:00-8:30 – Pub Crawl & Vendors

4:00-6:00 – Jenny & Kelli

6:00 – Costume Contest

6:00-8:00 – Coming In Crutch

6:00-10:00 – Wrinkle Free Entertainment

8:30 – All cards must be turned in

9:00 – 1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd place winners announced

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Dr. Greg Granger explains the pros and cons of Trump attack on Iran and the domestic political realities of War

Greg discusses the domestic implications of his military action with Israel, after attacking Iran, the timing of the attack, the potential for Terror attacks on US Soil and potential rise in gas prices to $125-150 per barrel.  Dr. Granger also provides his analysis for Trump’s recent comments about Cuba.

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The Lakeview boys basketball team is primed for semifinal success today as the Gators tip off at 2:45 in Lake Charles against East Iberville in a Non-Select Division IV playoff game.

The game rewards the winner with a berth in Friday’s state championship game against either Ferriday or West St. Mary’s.

Lakeview (29-4) is the second seed in the bracket, while East Iberville (26-7) is No. 3. The teams met last year in the state quarterfinals, when East Iberville’s Tigers shocked the Gators on a buzzer-beater, 47-46, but fell by four in the semifinals.

This is a return to Marsh Madness in Burton Coliseum for the second time in three years for Lakeview, which has made five visits to the state semifinals in the first 11 seasons under coach Brian Williams.

To say Lakeview is peaking at the right time might be an understatement. The Gators have won 14 of their last 15 games, with the only loss coming by two points to a Tioga team that reached the Division I quarterfinals.

Lakeview has blown out both playoff opponents, Haynesville 75-46 and Northeast 84-40 last Friday in the quarterfinals. The Gators tuned up for postseason with a non-district 56-54 win over Class C state finalist Pleasant Hill.

East Iberville has some impressive wins this season, including a two-point overtime victory over Non-Select Division II’s second-seeded team, Madison, and victories over Class 5A teams Bonnabel and Southside. The Tigers’ only loss in the past 12 games was a blowout defeat to Washington-Marion, which is in the Division II semifinals, and they’ve won three overtime games in that stretch.  Their playoff wins have come over Homer by 33, and Lake Arthur 73-56 in the quarterfinals.

Today’s game can be seen on a pay per view basis through the NFHSnetwork.com website, or through the LHSAA app.

St. Mary’s Catholic School is proud to congratulate students Cullen Aton and Roan McClung on an outstanding performance at the North Louisiana High School Fishing League tournament held this past weekend at Caney Lake.

Competing in the junior division, Cullen and Roan earned 1st Place out of 42 junior teams, showcasing impressive skill and teamwork on the water. Their success did not stop there. When all results were tallied, their catch actually outweighed the high school division winners, giving them the top overall weight out of all 108 boats competing in the tournament.

The duo brought in a five-fish sack weighing 22.85 pounds, marking the first time they have broken the 20-pound mark in competition. During the tournament, Roan also landed a 7-pound bass, helping secure the team’s remarkable finish.

The Northwestern State baseball team starts its busiest week of the 2026 season thus far at home this evening.

The Demons (9-7) have the first of three five-game weeks beginning with Alcorn State visiting Brown-Stroud Field at 6 p.m. today before Northwestern heads to Grambling on Wednesday, weather permitting, at 6 p.m. to cap a two-game, home-and-home season series with the Tigers.

Northwestern stays home this weekend for a three-game Southland Conference series starting Friday night against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Today’s game will air on ESPN+ while free streaming audio of Wednesday’s game will be available on www.NSUDemons.com and through the Northwestern State athletics mobile app, which can be downloaded free for Apple or Android devices.

“The word balance is something we’re going to continue to focus on,” third-year head coach Chris Bertrand said. “We’re going to have that first-time feeling, and we’re going to have that first-time opportunity. We want to balance that with where we are in the season, and we want to balance that with what it is we’re still discovering about our team. It’s something we’re definitely looking forward to, because we want to capitalize upon the momentum we’ve built. We want to extend a quality brand of baseball, and we want to have the opportunity to extend a winning streak.”

Northwestern returns home to face an Alcorn State (2-13) team it is becoming more and more familiar with as it starts a two-game run against teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

This marks the second straight season for the Braves to visit Natchitoches and the third time since 2022 when the teams met in a three-game series at Brown-Stroud Field.

The Braves enter the game with an offense that will challenge Northwestern’s defense. Alcorn State has swiped 21 bases in 15 games, doing so at a 72.4 percent success rate.

“One of the things we like about the schedule and the way it lays out – in this case, particularly, the midweek schedule – is you play different types of teams, which forces you to play against different styles of baseball, and it challenges different parts of your game,” Bertrand said. “We know the two teams we face this week are going to be very athletic teams. We know they have speed. We know they’re going to play with great skill sets, so it challenges you to hold runners. It challenges you to defend the short game whenever that becomes a necessity. It challenges your infielders and outfielders on how they approach balls and then secure the baseball and efficiently get rid of it. You’ve got to be accurate with everything you do.”

Northwestern took the final two games of its three-game series at UIW, giving the Demons their first series win at Sullivan Field presented by H-E-B since 2018.

Northwestern’s offense came alive in the offense-friendly environment in San Antonio. The Demons hit .317 as a team and slugged eight home runs in the three-game series, continuing the momentum they built in a 13-1, seven-inning win against Grambling last Tuesday at home.

SOFTBALL: Riding its best stretch in the last few seasons, the Northwestern softball team looks to keep the momentum rolling this afternoon when it travels to Grambling to close out a home-and-home series.

The Demons (11-14) won their first conference road series since 2023 this past weekend taking two games from Houston Christian before a walk-off winner spoiled a potential NSU sweep.

“I like the direction we’re heading right now,” head coach Jenny Fuller said. “We’ve been playing with good energy and doing a lot of things well in all phases. The key for us now is staying consistent and bringing that same focus into a midweek game on the road.”

NSU has won six of its last eight games heading into the 90-mile trip north to face Grambling (7-11) for the second and final time this year. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the GSU Softball Complex. There will be no live video of the game, but live stats will be available at nsudemons.com/livestats.

The Demons jumped all over Grambling in the first meeting on Feb. 10 in Natchitoches, scoring seven runs in the first inning on just three hits. They added a five-run third to the tally and cruised to a 12-0 run-rule win to pick up their first victory of the season. 

Northwestern will stay home for a three-game SLC series Friday evening and Saturday against McNeese.

LAKE CHARLES—After a sluggish first half, the fifth-seeded Northwestern State women’s basketball team came alive in the second half to turn a nine-point deficit into a 69-56 victory over No. 8 East Texas A&M Monday in the opening round of the Southland Conference Tournament at Townsley Law Arena.

Northwestern (18-13) advances to meet No. 4 UT-Rio Grande Valley (19-12) in the quarterfinals today at 11 a.m. The teams split during the games this season, with the Lady Demons walking away with a 64-59 overtime road win in the last meeting 10 days ago.

East Texas A&M (13-17) rode its own hot shooting and NSU’s inaccuracy (26 percent aim) to build a 20-7 lead that was 32-23 Lions at halftime.

“We were resilient,” Northwestern coach Anna Nimz said. “In the second half compared to the first, we defended and rebounded. We challenged them at half because we got into some foul trouble in the first half because we didn’t necessarily guard intelligently. Coming out of half, I think they did a nice job of that. The bench production came out and were big, keeping us in the game and cutting it to nine at halftime. It was a collective team effort.”

NSU scored 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter as the cornerstone of an extended 32-10 run to overtake, then pull away from the Lions, thanks to Vernell “Vee” Atamah.

After being benched four minutes into the game by two fouls, the SLC Player of the Year scored 14 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter.

She also made history in the process, as her triple to break a 45-45 deadlock gave her the school single-season 3-point record.

“I knew that whenever I was to go back in, I had to give it my all,” Atamah said. “Going into the fourth quarter, there was no promised game after this one, so I knew I had to give it my all in that fourth quarter and that is what I did.”

The Demons roared to life after shaking out of a 3-point shooting nightmare. In the first three quarters, NSU went 1-for-14. In the fourth, it was a whole different story, as the Demons made their first three triples and buried four in the final period.

Down by three early in the fourth, Atamah scored on a basket and foul before her record-breaking 3-pointer. Carla Celaya had a steal and layup to put Northwestern on top 50-45, forcing an East Texas A&M timeout.

That was followed by another Celaya layup, a layup from Tiara Abron and another 3-pointer from Atamah and NSU was off and running with a 57-45 lead.

The lead never was under nine the rest of the way.

In the final period, second-team All-SLC pick Nya Valentine had another strong finish, scoring five of her 17 points and dishing out two of her four assists.

The Demons outrebounded the Lions 53-26. Northwestern has beaten its last nine opponents on the boards, with seven of the last eight margins by double digits.

In the first half, after Atamah went to the bench, the Lions used a 17-2 run in the first quarter to build their largest lead at 20-7.

ET’s Nina Horvath, who came in shooting below 27 percent from deep, made all four of her 3-point attempts in the first half, including a banked in one. In the second half, the Demons held her scoreless.

Backup players rose to the occasion for Northwestern.

Freshman center Cimiya Rideaux made impact off the bench. She scored a career-high 10 points, including one at the end of the third quarter to cut it to 43-42.

“The bench was phenomenal,” Nimz said. “I told everybody in the locker room that it is going to take the entire team to make it through the conference tournament. I thought the bench did a tremendous job, keeping the score within nine at halftime. That is big credit to every kid who played.”

Celaya had seven points, 13 rebounds and five assists, while Clarence Djuela secured 10 rebounds.

The Demons helped themselves immensely from the free throw line, going 14-of-15.

Northwestern State University’s History faculty was well represented at the 68^th annual meeting of the Louisiana Historical Society in Lafayette, LA March 5-7.

Dr. Charles Pellegrin, NSU Professor of History, chaired a session focused on interesting aspects of Natchitoches’ history titled “Staging the Past: History, Memory and Performance in Louisiana”. Three NSU faculty members gave presentations at the session with LSUS Professor and Archivist Dr. Laura Lyons McLemore giving comments.

Dr. Kent Peacock, NSU Assistant Professor of history, gave a presentation on opera houses and theaters in early 20 century Natchitoches. Dr. James MacDonald, NSU Professor of History, delivered a presentation on early 20 century novelist Ruth Cross and her novel about Natchitoches’ founder Louis Juchereau De Saint Denis. Dr. Christopher Gilson, NSU Associate Professor of History, delivered a presentation on the history of the Louisiana Cavalier play and the American Bicentennial. Additionally, 2002 Louisiana Scholars’ College alumna and current graduate student at Boston University, Sarah Jose, gave a presentation titled “The Textbooks of Louisiana Cuisine: An Analysis of The Junior League Cookbooks from 1959-1980.”

Notice is hereby given that the Natchitoches Parish School board will receive the following:

April 20, 2026 10 a.m.                        NPSB Milk and Milk Products Bid# 26-27:2

Bids/Proposals will be accepted until the date and time specified and will be publicly opened and read aloud on April 20, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. in the School Board’s Central Office, 310 Royal Street Natchitoches, LA 71457-5709. Please find bid-related documents and place electronic bids, is desired, at WWW.CENTRALBIDDING.COM.

For questions relating to the electronic bidding process please call Central Bidding at 225-810-4814. Bids/Proposals received after the date and time of opening will not be considered. Facsimile transmissions will not be considered. Additional information may be obtained upon request by contacting Michelle Demery at Michelle.Demery@npsb.la or 318-352-2358 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The Board reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

2/27/26, 3/5/26, 3/10/26

NPSB Notice of Advertising for Bid Signed letter.

Lowell K. “Sandy” Robinson was a deputy for the Tulare County California Sheriff’s Department until he was elected Sheriff in 1951.  From that election until the election in 1966, Sandy had easily defeated all others who vied for the office.  The November 8, 1966, election day was a disaster for Sandy because he received only about half as many votes as his contender received.  On January 1, 1967, he turned his office and the title of sheriff over to the incoming sheriff. 

One of Sandy’s daily tasks was to retrieve his mail from post office box number 510 at the Visalia Post Office.  It was a task that had become so routine that he performed it without much thought.  It was just one of the routine details of his daily life such as putting on his shoes and grabbing his car keys.  Soon after the election, Sandy decided to leave Visalia, California and move to Baxter Springs, Kansas to be near his parents and siblings.  In the chaos of moving, Sandy forgot to return his post office box key.  It remained on his keyring.  Sandy was still getting things settled in Baxter Springs when a local hotel manager resigned and moved to another town.  The hotel owner offered Sandy the hotel manager position and he quickly accepted.  Sandy had not set up his new address in Baxter Springs when he was hired for his new job.  When he visited the post office, he requested the same post office box which had been used by the previous manager just in case any mail intended for the hotel was delivered to that box.  After completing the necessary paperwork, the postal clerk gave Sandy the box key.  Stamped on one side of the key was the post office box number.  Sandy was surprised when he looked at the key and saw it stamped with the number 510.  Sandy had the same post office box number in Baxter Springs that he had in Visalia some 1650 miles to the west.

Sandy shrugged off the coincidence.  He made sure the new key worked, retrieved a few pieces of mail from the box, then put the key on his key ring with little thought.  Nearly two years went by, and checking his mailbox at the Baxter Springs Post Office became just another item on his daily routine.  Then in August 1969, Sandy pulled out his keyring and opened box number 510.  He retrieved the mail and was in the process of locking his post office box when he noticed that another key on his key ring was stamped “510.”  That is when he finally realized that he had forgotten to return his key to the Visalia Post Office.  Then, he wondered which of the two keys he had been using for nearly two years to get his mail.  Other than normal wear, the keys were practically identical.  Sandy tried both keys in each of the mailboxes in the Baxter Springs Post Office.  Although they would not open any other box at that post office, both keys opened post office box number 510.           

Sources:

1.     The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kansas), August 25, 1969, p.5.

2.     The Daily Item (Port Chester, New York), October 1, 1969, p.8.

3.     “Lowell Sandy Robinson,” FindAGrave.com, accessed March 1, 2026, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28198671/lowell-sandy-robinson.

Natchitoches City Council will have a pre-council meeting on Monday, March 9 beginning at 5 p.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m. to discuss non-agenda items. The City Council meeting will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month and will be reserved to only items on the Agenda.  The public is invited to both the pre-council meetings and council meetings with the understanding that items not on the agenda will not be discussed at the scheduled council meetings, but the public is welcome to discuss any topic at the pre-council meetings.  The City Council Meetings are held at the Natchitoches City Council Chambers, located at 716 Second St. in Natchitoches.

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An RV fire temporarily closed the southbound lanes of Interstate 49 on March 7 near the Ajax area.

According to the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies and firefighters responded to the incident at about 10:56 a.m. near mile marker 152, just south of Ajax.

The fire led authorities to close the southbound lanes of the interstate while crews responded. Traffic was diverted off I-49 at Exit 155 near Ajax and rerouted to Louisiana Highway 1.

Deputies with the sheriff’s office assisted with traffic control while firefighters from Natchitoches Parish Fire Protection District #7 worked at the scene.

By 11:55 a.m., officials reported that all lanes had reopened. Motorists were advised to continue driving carefully and avoid distractions while towing and recovery crews worked to remove the burned vehicle from the interstate.

A mobile home was destroyed in an early morning fire on March 7 in Marthaville, according to the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies and firefighters were dispatched at approximately 2:59 a.m. by the NATCOM 911 Center to a reported mobile home fire in the 100 block of South 2nd Street.

When units arrived, the structure was fully engulfed in flames.

Firefighters with Natchitoches Parish Fire Protection District #7 responded to the scene and worked to extinguish the fire. Officials said the mobile home was a total loss.

Authorities reported that no injuries occurred as a result of the fire. Deputy Cpl. Thomas Freeman with the sheriff’s office responded to assist at the scene.

PART 1:  Dr. Greg Granger joins Billy West Live to discuss the War in Iran and the Trump Administration’s decision to attack Iran in conjunction with Israel and his legal authority to do so, and the accomplishments to date, along with his thoughts on how Russia and China will react to this action as well as what America’s exit strategy may be or if one exists.

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The Lakeview Gators left no doubt in their state semifinal boys basketball state playoff game Friday night while the Natchitoches Central Chiefs came up a few points short in theirs.

Lakeview, the second seed in Non-Select Division IV, routed No. 10 Northeast 84-40 Friday night at The Swamp.

Natchitoches Central, seeded third in Non-Select Division I, was outlasted at The Teepee Friday night 56-48 by sixth-seeded Central (Baton Rouge), which reached last year’s state championship game.

Lakeview (29-4) will play a familiar foe, East Iberville (26-7), Tuesday at 2:45 in Lake Charles at the LHSAA’s Marsh Madness event in Burton Coliseum.

East Iberville shocked the Gators on their homecourt last year in the quarterfinals by hitting a buzzer-beating shot for a 47-46 upset.

This is the fifth time in 12 seasons Lakeview has made the state semifinals under coach Brian Williams.

The Chiefs led 22-21 at halftime but foul trouble became an issue for NCHS and Central took the upper hand late in the third period.

NCHS finished with a 28-5 record, missing the state semifinals for the first time in four seasons. Central improved to 24-7.

Three athletes from the St. Mary’s Catholic School’s girls powerlifting team have qualified to compete at the state championship.

Freshman Ady Rhodes and juniors Rayanna Norsworthy and Alyssa Brewton each earned a spot at the state meet following strong performances this season.

Rhodes finished with a total lift of 570 pounds, while Norsworthy also posted a 570-pound total. Brewton recorded the highest total among the three with 760 pounds.

The athletes will travel to Lafayette on March 26, 2026, to compete at the state powerlifting competition. Their qualification marks a significant milestone for the program as they prepare to compete among the top lifters in Louisiana.

SAN ANTONIO – Fittingly, it took extra innings for the Northwestern State baseball team to accomplish something eight years in the making.

Bryce Johnson’s three-run home run snapped a 12th-inning tie and the Demons held on for a 7-6 victory against Incarnate Word on Saturday to clinch a three-game Southland Conference series at Sullivan Field.

Friday evening, senior center fielder Joe Siervo added another chapter to his growing key-moment resume, delivering a tie-breaking, two-run home run as the Demons held on for a 9-8 victory in the nightcap of a doubleheader at UIW. The Cardinals grabbed a 13-9 win in the first game Friday, jumping to an early six-run lead.

The Game 3 extra-inning triumph marked the first time the Demons (9-7, 3-3) captured a series in San Antonio since the 2018 season.

“It’s a Demon type of win on a Demon type of day, and we did it in a Demon type of way,” third-year head coach Chris Bertrand said. “I continue to be the proudest leader of men because of the things we continue to exhibit. We’re going to continue to fight. We’re going to continue to put our fists up, and we’re going to continue to stay in it. Our guys exhibit grit and a never-say-die attitude. As long as it takes, whatever it takes, we’re always going to figure out a way. That’s what we enjoy the most – our guys want to be in that fire, because they are proud to be people who figure out a way to get it done.”

Johnson jumped the first pitch from UIW reliever Fawster Voytko (1-2) and drilled it out to left field, slicing it through a crosswind for his first home run of the season.

Johnson’s blast stood in direct opposition to how the Demons pulled even in the eighth inning.

Johnson ripped a leadoff double to left field by advancing to third on a productive ground out to first base by Michael McAloose and scored on Sam Ardoin’s chopper against a drawn-in infield.  

Northwestern starter Trent Hillen settled in after UIW (8-8, 2-4) scratched out a pair of two-run innings in the first and second to build a 4-2 lead. Hillen recovered to blank the Cardinals across the next four innings before turning the ball over to Wesley Marien, who spun four shutout innings of two-hit relief with four strikeouts.

“We talk a lot about learning, and we talk about pulling from those experiences,” Bertrand said. “Wes has been in that situation before. His ability to find a calm mentally and put those lessons learned and that value was pulled and call upon those experiences to deliver for the team is exactly what we talk about – who we want to be and what we want to be.”

The Demons held on for the win as Caden Fiveash (2-0) got Cole Tabor to fly out to center field after Tony DeJesus’ two-run home run cut into the Northwestern lead.

Fiveash worked two innings, working around a leadoff walk to strand the winning run at second base in the 11th inning to set up Johnson’s blast, which gave the Demons their sixth final at-bat win of the season.

Northwestern hosts Alcorn State Tuesday in a 6 p.m. game at Brown-Stroud Field.

SOFTBALL:  Friday in Houston, Northwestern State jumped out to another early lead but could not find the timely hit it needed as Houston Christian walked off with a 3-2 win in the Southland Conference opening series finale, after NSU swept a Thursday doubleheader, 7-1 and 11-6.

“We had opportunities throughout the game, we just couldn’t come up with that big hit like we were able to do a few times yesterday,” head coach Jenny Fuller said. “I was really proud of the way that (Mattison) Buster competed for us all day, especially after pitching a lot on Thursday. It’s tough to lose one like that, but we definitely saw more progress as a team this weekend and we won the series.”

The Demons had a chance to give Buster her third win of the weekend in the seventh when the first two batters reached base on a hit-by-pitch and a pinch-hit single from Aly Delafield. However, a fly ball to center, strikeout and ground ball to short from the next three batters left the go-ahead run at second.

HCU led off the bottom of the inning with a double by Ella Herrewig with a sacrifice bunt moving her to third with one out. After two intentional walks to load the bases and create a force play at home, Maddy Bailey lined a ball into left to bring in the game-winning run for the Huskies.

The Demons continue play on Tuesday at 1 p.m. in a midweek contest at Grambling and are home next weekend for an SLC series.

LAKE CHARLES — In the Southland Conference women’s basketball race, few teams have been as hot down the stretch as Northwestern State.

Fifth-seeded NSU (17-13 overall, 14-8 in the SLC) enters the conference tournament today on a four-game winning streak and went 6-1 in its final seven regular season games.

The Lady Demons aim to carry that momentum forward against No. 8 East Texas A&M (13-16, 9-13) at Townsley Law Arena. The teams split the regular season meetings, with both winning on their home court.

Tipoff is at 11 a.m. today. The game will be carried on ESPN+ or fans can listen to it on KZBL 100.7 FM in Natchitoches. The winner of the game plays again at 11 a.m. on Tuesday against No. 4 UTRGV.

“The goal for every coach is to inch closer and closer to 40 minutes as you get to the end of the year,” head coach Anna Nimz said. “We’re not there yet, but we are absolutely playing some really good basketball.

“We have a lot of variance, which we still have to get better at to be able to make it through this tournament. But they are excited and they are ready. They believe and know they are a special group. We’ve had a couple of days to give our legs a rest, but mentally, still get after it.”

For the first time in 22 years, the Demons have won 14 conference games. That season was also the last time the Demon won conference player of the year until this season.

This season’s player of the year is Vernell Atamah, who is leading the league in both overall (19.3) and in conference games (19.0) and her 19.3 points per game are the most in the program since Beatrice Attura averaged 20.6 in 2016-17.

After reaching 1,000 career points in the regular season finale against Houston Christian, she has a chance to make some more history during the tournament. With 87 made 3-pointers this season, she is just one behind Attura’s school record of 88, set in 2016-17.

As a team, the Demons are also just one shy of tying the school record of 223, set just last season.

Nya Valentine is another major factor in the 3-point shooting, making 70, helping her earn a second team all-conference nod.

In addition to her prowess from beyond the arc, she is also one of the best in the conference at setting her teammates up, ranking second in assists per game, averaging five in league play.

LAKE CHARLES — A tightly contested defensive battle for much of the first half slipped away from the Northwestern State men’s basketball team in the final 20 minutes as Nicholls pulled away for a 61–47 win in the opening round of the Southland Conference Tournament on Sunday night inside the Townsley Law Center.

After leading by just one point at halftime, the Colonels used a decisive run midway through the second half to create separation, outscoring the Demons 36–23 after the break to advance to tonight’s quarterfinal matchup against UT-Rio Grande Valley. NSU finished with a 10-22 season, but did make its third straight SLC Tournament appearance under coach Rick Cabrera in a season where 14 of the 22 regular-season conference games were decided in the final minute.

Sixth-seeded Nicholls (14-18) seized control with a stretch that began shortly after No. 7-seeded Northwestern  pulled within two points early in the second half.

Following Landyn Jumawan’s fourth 3-pointer of the night that cut the deficit to 33–31 with just more than 16 minutes remaining, the Colonels responded with a dominant run that flipped the game.

Nicholls outscored the Demons 19–4 during a span from the 16:08 mark to 7:53, turning defensive pressure into transition opportunities and building a 52-35 advantage.

The Colonels’ interior offense played a major role in the surge. Nicholls finished with 38 points in the paint and scored 12 fast-break points, repeatedly converting turnovers and steals into easy baskets. Nicholls also recorded 15 assists on 25 made field goals and tallied 11 steals, helping create an 18-11 edge in points off turnovers.

The Demons struggled to find an offensive rhythm during the decisive stretch, missing nine of 10 field goals over a six-minute span in the second half as the Colonels steadily extended the lead.

Nicholls shot 45 percent from the field for the game compared to 29 percent for the Demons.

“Give credit to Nicholls,” Cabrera said. “They did a heck of a job defensively against us. I thought we defended well enough to win the game. We just picked the worst night to have our worst offensive night. Shots just didn’t fall.

“I told the guys the game was going to be won on the defensive end,” he said. “That means getting stops and getting points in transition. They did that in the second half and we didn’t.”

Jumawan provided an early spark for the Demons, knocking down three 3-pointers in the opening half and finishing with a team-high 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc.

Despite finishing even on the glass at 34 rebounds apiece and receiving 18 points from the bench, the Demons were unable to overcome Nicholls’ second-half surge.

“I wouldn’t say they out-physicaled us,” senior forward Willie Williams said. “But we gave up a lot of second-chance opportunities, and that hurt us.”

The loss also marked the final collegiate game for several Demon seniors, including Micah Thomas, Williams and Jumawan. Thomas, all-tournament last year as NSU reached the semifinals, struggled Sunday and the SLC’s fifth-leading points producer scored just four points.

“I told them I’m sorry their senior year didn’t end better,” Cabrera said. “But these guys helped us have a good year last season. They’ve meant a lot to this program.”