CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Northwestern State's first Southland Conference road game comes in a venue that has been good to the Demons, but against a Texas A&M-Corpus Christi team that might be the Islanders' best since their 2007 conference championship squad.

Tipoff at the American Bank Center, where NSU has won in its last three visits, is 7:30 Thursday night between the Demons (5-8 overall, 1-1 in the Southland) and the Islanders (5-10, 2-0). Northwestern ranks in the top 40 in NCAA statistics in five categories, including leading the nation in scoring (89.4 average), third in steals (10.2 per game) and 11^th in turnover margin (plus 4.8). The Demons are 22^nd in blocked shots per game (6.2) and 37^th in assists (15.7 average).

A&M-Corpus Christi posted a solid 71-64 win at Oral Roberts last Saturday to follow a league-opening 81-66 victory at Central Arkansas. The Islanders have improved sparked by 6-7 freshman forward Rashawn Thomas, who had 15 points and 12 rebounds at ORU in his fifth game since a broken jaw sidelined him for the first nine contests. A&M-CC point guard John Jordan is 10^th in the Southland in scoring (15.0 average) and third in assists (4.6).

The Islanders average just 66.4 points per contest with their 81-point outing at UCA their season best. Tempo will likely be a pivotal issue in Thursday night's matchup.

"We want to go fast, and they don't play that way," said 15^th-year coach Mike McConathy. "Willis Wilson is a tremendous coach and he's got them off to a great start in the league with two road wins. They've made dramatic improvement in the offseason and we'll come in there with a target on our jerseys as the preseason favorite and the team that represented the league in the NCAA Tournament last year.

"I think we're close to hitting our stride. We've done some encouraging things in the last five games and now we get a really good test on the road," he said. "We'll certainly see two of the top freshmen in the Southland with Zeek Woodley and Rashawn Thomas."

Woodley, NSU's 6-2 swingman who was the Class C MVP the last three seasons at Pelican-All Saints High, poured in 30 points last Saturday as the Demons cruised by Lamar 99-85. He sank 12 of 15 shots, including a 3-pointer, and went 5-for-5 at the free throw line. Woodley ranks among Southland leaders in four categories: scoring (14.6, 12^th), field goal percentage (first, and eighth nationally, at 62.4), free throw aim (80 percent, eighth) and blocked shots (1.1, 10^th).

Last year's Southland Freshman of the Year, Demons' sophomore point guard Jalan West, is posting dynamic numbers. He is the only player in the country to average at least 18 points, four rebounds, five assists and 2.5 steals per game, ranking eighth in the country with his 2.8 steals average and 28^th in assists (5.7). His 18.1 scoring average is second in the conference.

He and Woodley, along with senior guard Brison White (13.1 points per game), were responsible for an amazing burst of eight points in 12 seconds in the win over Lamar on a 3-pointer by White, a pair of West free throws after a White steal, and a three-point play by Woodley following a steal by West.

Senior forward DeQuan Hicks is on a roll with 17.3 points, 10 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in the last four contests, along with recovering from a five-game, 39 percent slump at the free throw line by making 72 percent in his last five games. Hicks is sixth in the Southland in scoring (16.3 average), fourth in rebounding (7.8) and fifth in steals (1.9).

The Demons stay on the road to visit Houston Baptist Saturday night. They come home next Thursday to face Stephen F. Austin.