Box Score CONWAY, Ark. – Sophomore Gary Stewart sparked an early comeback that put visiting Northwestern State in control Wednesday night as the Demons picked up their fourth straight win, sinking a season-best 60 percent of their shots in a 79-68 Southland Conference basketball victory at Central Arkansas.

Northwestern (13-9 overall, 6-2 to share the East Division lead at the halfway point of the conference race) got 13 points each from Stewart, Gary Roberson and Shamir Davis, while William Mosley added 10. Mosley notched 5 blocks to raise his career total to 426, moving him from 17^th to 13^th all-time on the NCAA career top 25 blocked shots list.

The Demons used a 16-2 run over five minutes in the first half to take command, moving ahead 26-17 after falling behind 11-2 to open the contest. Stewart scored 7 of his 10 first-half points in that burst, which stretched out to a 28-8 run as NSU went ahead 30-19 with 7:28 left in the half.

“We attacked the basket well at times and got some really good contributions from guys who stepped up tonight, led by Gary Stewart and Gary Roberson,” said 13^th-year Demons coach Mike McConathy. “It was an odd game in that we shot free throws poorly (4-15) and didn't handle the ball well (17 turnovers), but our effort was very good, and so was our approach. We competed hard and fought off their runs.”

UCA (7-13, 2-6) trailed by 17 at 61-44, but  moved within six points three times down the stretch. NSU answered on its ensuing possession each time, the last with dunks by Mosley and Patrick Robinson and a layup off a Robinson steal by Louis Ellis to make it 75-63 with 1:51 left.

The Demons had 12 steals and blocked 9 shots. The Bears still hit 46 percent overall, but went 0 for 10 on 3-pointers, failing to make one for the first time in 11 seasons – after draining 10 of 23 on Jan. 23 in Natchitoches to upset NSU 77-73.

LaQuentin Miles led UCA with 20 points while Mark Rutledge added 12.

Davis had 6 assists and 4 steals for the Demons, who come home Saturday to play host to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a 2 o'clock game on Demon Basketball Reunion Day.