NATCHITOCHES – Stinging after offensive struggles in the last two games against highly-regarded teams on the road, Northwestern State comes home Friday night to face Jacksonville State, tipping off a two-game homestand at Prather Coliseum.
 
Admission to the evening doubleheader is a special “Black Friday” shoppers' bargain rate of $1. The Lady Demons play Loyola (New Orleans) at 5:45, followed about two hours later with the men's game pitting NSU (2-3) against Jacksonville State (2-2).
 
In their last two outings, at Cincinnati Monday night and at Marshall last Saturday, the Demons have combined to shoot only 32 percent from the field. NSU managed only 10 points in the final 11 minutes at Cincinnati as the Bearcats doubled a 14-point lead and held the visitors to their lowest point total, 43, in four seasons.
 
Both teams have wins over Alabama State, with NSU prevailing 67-60 at ASU and Jacksonville State posting a 78-65 homecourt win two nights later.  The Gamecocks were more competitive than the Demons at Marshall and Cincinnati, falling by 14 in both contests.
 
Junior guard Shamir Davis tops Northwestern with a 13.6 scoring average, and has hit 50 percent of his shots. So has junior college transfer Gary Roberson, who is shooting 40 percent on 3-pointers and averaging 9.2 points per game despite an 0-for-8 outing at Cincinnati.
 
Senior center William Mosley was cleared to play, wearing a brace, after he injured a knee in Monday night's loss at Cincinnati. He already has 20 blocked shots in the first five games after leading the nation last season with a 4.9 average, and is contributing 7.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
 
Jacksonville State has three double-digit scorers:  Tarvin Gaines (16.3 points, 53 percent aim, 6.3 rebounds pg), Mason Leggett (12.8 points, 14-15 on free throws) and Stephen Hall (10.7 points, 5.3 rebounds), with Brian Williams right behind at 9.8 points per game.
 
Eight Demons have already scored in double figures at least once. Davis has a string of four straight double-digit games, topped by his career-best 27 in a win at Alabama State last Thursday.
 
NSU is shooting poorly (38 percent from the floor, 25 percent on 3-pointers, 56 percent on free throws) and is being outrebounded 44.6-38.2 on average.
 
The Demons are averaging 10 steals and 7.5 blocked shots per game. They had 13 steals at Cincinnati.
 
Friday's game is the first of two home outings in a row for coach Mike McConathy's team, which will host 2011 NCAA Tournament participant Arkansas-Little Rock next Tuesday evening.
 
The Friday night doubleheader will be broadcast on 100.7 FM KZBL, the flagship station of the Demon Sports Network.