HOUSTON – It's time the Northwestern State basketball team takes scoring almost for granted and makes defense more than an afterthought, believes veteran coach Mike McConathy as the Demons aim to even their Southland Conference record and earn a split on the road Saturday night in a 7:30 visit to new league member Houston Baptist.

The Demons (5-9 overall, 1-2 in the Southland) have allowed 51 percent shooting in their three conference games, including a 60 percent outing Thursday night in a 101-87 loss to upstart Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Overall this season, NSU is last in the country in scoring defense by permitting 91.3 points per game.

Houston Baptist (3-13, 0-3) is scoring just 63 points per game. But A&M-Corpus Christi was averaging only 66 and had a season high of 81 points before torching NSU behind 71 percent second-half aim.

"Defense is half the game. Our guys as a group are not committed to defending at the level it takes to win game after game. Championship teams defend at a high level. We did last year," McConathy said, "and we can do it again."

NSU remains high in national rankings in scoring offense (89.2, second), steals (9.9 per game, seventh) and blocked shots (5.9 per game, 29^th). Thursday night, the Demons nabbed only five steals, blocked just two shots and the Islanders made only 11 turnovers, eight less than NSU opponents typically commit.

NSU has four of the Southland's top 16 scorers: sophomore point guard Jalan West (18.0), senior forward DeQuan Hicks (16.1), freshman swingman Zeek Woodley (15.5) and senior guard Brison White (13.3). The 6-2 Woodley has made 22 of his last 26 shots from the floor while scoring 30 and 27 points in the last two games and ranks fifth nationally with his 64.8 percent shooting aim. His 23-point average in three league games is tops in the Southland.

West is ninth nationally in steals (2.7), 26^th in assists (5.9) and is the only player in the nation averaging 18 points, four rebounds, five assists and 2.5 steals per contest.

Junior center Marvin Frazier leads the Southland with 1.8 blocked shots per game.

Houston Baptist fell 77-50 at home Thursday night to league unbeaten Stephen F. Austin, which visits Prather Coliseum next Thursday night.