Box Score NATCHITOCHES -- Brison White's season-high 20 points paced a productive Northwestern State bench output to lift the Demons over visiting McNeese State 78-63 Thursday night in the Southland Conference basketball opener for both teams.
 
Northwestern State (7-4) dominated scoring by non-starters, 52-8, as DeQuan Hicks added 14 and Jalan West 10 along with White in the Demons' "second wave." NSU, the nation's fourth highest-scoring team, typically substitutes in five-man waves through most of each half. The Demons' first five combined for 26 points.
 
McNeese (6-5), playing for the first time since a Dec. 22 loss at North Carolina, got 15 points by Dontae Cannon, 14 for Desharick Guidry and 13 points and a game-best 13 rebounds from Kevin Hardy. It was only the second loss in the last seven tries for the Cowboys, who managed just 36 percent shooting aim and were 7-for-16 on free throws.
 
The winners sank half their 64 shots and made 10 of 14 at the free throw line. The Demons, who rank 16th nationally in blocked shots, nearly doubled their 5.5 average with 10 rejections, a game-high four by senior forward James Hulbin, who also snatched nine rebounds. Hicks added eight.
 
The Demons allowed McNeese only a brief one-point early lead. NSU moved ahead 43-31 at halftime, weathered a Cowboys run to within 46-45, and led by as much as 18 in the last minute.
 
An 11-2 burst from the second wave, punctuated by a White 3-pointer, put the Demons on top to stay 20-12 with 12:26 showing in the first half. McNeese mounted a 14-3 run in the first five minutes after halftime, but White picked up a steal and hit a layup with 14:32 left that launched a 11-2 burst over the next four minutes that carried NSU back into control.
 
White became the fifth Demon to score at least 20 in a game this season.
 
NSU stays at home Saturday afternoon to play Lamar, last year's Southland NCAA Tournament entry, in a 3 p.m. game that follows a 1 o'clock women's matchup.