RUSTON – Northwestern State shoots for its third win in four games, and for a second straight triumph over old rival Louisiana Tech, when the Demon basketball team visits the Bulldogs at the Thomas Assembly Center Tuesday night at 7.

The game will be broadcast on the Demon Sports Network, with 100.7 FM KZBL in Natchitoches as the flagship and including 92.1 KSYR FM in Shreveport and 99.9 KTEZ FM in Many.
 
Northwestern (4-4) and Louisiana Tech (3-4) meet for the third straight season, with the Demons hoping to follow up last year's 85-78 homecourt victory over the Bulldogs with a road win, their second of the season to go with a 67-60 decision Nov. 17 over 2011 NCAA Tournament entry Alabama State.
 
NSU has two wins over NCAA Tournament entries from last season, whipping Arkansas-Little Rock 80-65 at home last Tuesday night. That came on the heels of a 67-61 overtime win at home over Jacksonville State, but the Demons' two-game win streak was halted by unbeaten, 13^th-ranked Missouri 90-56 on Friday night.
 
Louisiana Tech snapped a three-game losing skid by beating another old rival, Louisiana-Monroe, 73-71 on the road Saturday night. The Bulldogs have lost on the road to a pair of NSU's fellow Southland Conference members, falling 68-61 at Texas-Arlington and 72-69 in overtime last week to Southeastern Louisiana.
 
“This is the kind of series we need more of, to benefit Louisiana basketball,” said 13^th-year Demons coach Mike McConathy, who was enshrined in the Louisiana Tech Athletic Hall of Fame Oct. 1 in recognition of his outstanding playing career for the Bulldogs from 1973-77. “We're playing ULM next week. McNeese is playing at Tech next week. McNeese and Louisiana-Lafayette just played. These are games of interest in our state that get fans talking basketball and that is good for all involved.
 
“It's also more important than the average game because our fans, students and alumni interact with friends from there. We certainly cross paths in recruiting. It's not a game that makes or breaks you, but it is a game that is talked about because of the history and the in-state competition aspect,” he said. “Of course, for me being able to go back to Ruston where I have family, friends and great memories, it's something special. I certainly want to walk away very proud of the NSU Demons and how we represent our program and our university.”
 
The NSU-Louisiana Tech series is the oldest active college basketball rivalry in Louisiana. This is the third in a four-year contract of single games between teams that first met in 1915-16.
 
“It's a matchup of two hungry teams who are trying to establish their identities,” said McConathy. “It should be an up tempo game that's fun to watch. We have made some progress lately, but we ran into a fabulous Missouri team Friday night and were just overmatched. We did hold them scoreless for a long stretch late in the game, and we had some flashes of good basketball offensively, but we were just not tough enough to make it competitive against that caliber of opponent. Hopefully we learned some lessons.”
 
The Demons top four scorers are all Shreveport products. Huntington High's Shamir Davis is averaging 11 points, Booker T. Washington's James Hulbin is scoring 10.1 per game, with Huntington's William Mosley and Southwood's Louis Ellis both with 8.4 scoring averages. Hulbin has scored 34 points in the last two games, while Ellis is averaging 13 in his last three contests while sinking 13 of 24 shots.
 
Mosley, a 6-7 senior center, is the nation's leading returning shot blocker who had 14 rebounds at Missouri. He is averaging 10.4 rebounds (22^nd nationally) and 4.1 blocks (fifh in the NCAA).  As a team, the Demons rank sixth nationally in blocks (7.6 per game) and 31^st in steals (9.3 per game).
 
The Bulldogs also have four players averaging between 11.3 and 8.0 points, led by Trevor Gaskins (11.3) and Cordarius Johnson (11.0).
 
Following Tuesday night's game, NSU will take time off for final exams and doesn't play again until Thursday, Dec. 15 at Louisiana-Monroe. The Demons next play at home Saturday, Dec. 17 against Missouri Valley.