NATCHITOCHES – A rivalry dating back nearly a century is renewed Tuesday night in Prather Coliseum when Northwestern State and Louisiana Tech's basketball teams, both off to noteworthy starts this season, square off for the fourth straight year.
 
Tipoff is slated for 7:30 with a slightly later start possible as the contest is the second half of the first of 11 home basketball doubleheaders for Northwestern. The Lady Demons start the twinbill at 5:30 against Prairie View A&M.
 
Fans can take advantage of a holiday ticket deal to get in for just $4 per person. Any new toy of any value brought to the game as a donation to the Natchitoches Area Jaycees for distribution to local youths provides a discounted $4 ticket. There's no limit on the number of toys donated and discounted tickets earned.
 
The Demons (3-3) narrowly missed knocking off Oklahoma Friday night, falling 69-65 on the road in a game with 14 ties and 10 lead changes. The Bulldogs (7-1) have not lost since a season-opening 71-59 defeat at Texas A&M, and won Friday night 86-68 at Georgia State after smashing in-state rivals Louisiana-Monroe (68-52) and Southeastern Louisiana (99-62) in the previous week.  Northwestern's other two losses came at LSU (102-95) and Texas A&M (78-65).
 
NSU and Louisiana Tech, who first met in hoops in 1915-16, each have won their home games in the last three seasons of the rivalry. The Bulldogs rallied to record a 94-93 double overtime victory last Dec. 6 in Ruston, getting a banked 3-pointer at the buzzer from Raheem Appleby to prevail.
 
Appleby, a 6-3 sophomore guard, has scored 30 or more in two of Tech's last four games, getting a career-best 34 at Georgia State, and his 20.9 scoring average sets the pace for the Bulldogs. Coushatta junior Cordarious Johnson is averaging 14.6 points per game.
 
“Coach Michael White has done a phenomenal job putting together an excellent team that is very exciting, very explosive. Appleby is an unbelievable player, as good a scorer as I've seen in years, a phenomenal scorer,” said Demons' coach Mike McConathy.
 
“They have a great team, but we've got a good team and we're going to go out and do the best we possibly can to get a victory in Prather. I think our kids will be ready to play and will match their intensity level they will have. It's going to be a great game and we would love for people to come out and watch it,” he said.
 
The Demons, the nation's seventh-highest scoring team at 84.3 ppg, have four players scoring in double figures: junior forward DeQuan Hicks (15.7), redshirt freshman guard Jalan West (14.7), senior guard Shamir Davis (13.0) and senior forward James Hulbin (12.2).
 
Hicks leads NSU in rebounding with a 6.5 average while Hulbin is at 5.7 per game.
 
McConathy, who is in the Louisiana Tech Athletic Hall of Fame for his playing career from 1973-77, is pleased to renew the in-state, neighborhood rivalry.
 
“When you're located a short drive away, it's a natural rivalry, and especially so when you're in the same state. It's good for Louisiana basketball at the high school and college level. It's wholesome. We're waiting on paperwork to get this series extended and we're very pleased about it for the benefit of fans and players around Louisiana,” he said.
 
The game will be broadcast on the Demon Sports Network, flagshipped by 100.7 KZBL FM in Natchitoches and including 92.7 FM KSYR in Shreveport and 99.9 KTEZ FM in Many. A free audio stream is available at NSUDemons.com, where a video stream can be purchased. The network broadcast begins at 5:15 with the Lady Demon pregame show.
 
After the Tuesday night contest, the Demons will break for final exams and won't play again until Saturday Dec. 15 at home against Missouri Valley.