KATY, Texas – All-Southland Conference players Trudy Armstead and Keisha Lee will lead the Northwestern State women's basketball team into its first game of the Southland Conference Tournament against Nicholls Friday morning at 11 o'clock as the fourth seed for the first time since the 2004-05 season.
 
NSU (18-12, 11-7 SLC) won its final four games of the season to help the Lady Demons, who were picked eighth in preseason polls, clinch a spot in the tournament and force a tie for fourth place.  The fourth seed gave NSU a first-round bye and appearance in the quarterfinals. 
 
Nicholls (17-13, 11-7 SLC) defeated Oral Roberts in the first round of the tourney.
 
"There is a different demeanor from our team this year. Last year, they were just excited to be a part of the tournament since they missed the year before," said second year co-head coach Brooke Stoehr.   
 
"This year there is a different look in their eye, and they expect to win," she said.  "Some of that is year two in the process, but I think a lot of it too is that we've won eight of the last 11 game.  They are confident in how they are playing and excited for the chance to get a championship."
 
It is NSU's 23^rd trip to the league tournament with one win and eight runner-ups. Overall, the program has a 22-21 record in the competition.  Last season, the Lady Demons entered as the eighth seed, and fell to McNeese, who advanced to the semifinal round, in the first round.
 
Northwestern State and Nicholls faced each other only once this season, and the Lady Demons took that contest 76-60 in Prather Coliseum.  NSU shot 64 percent from the field in that game and Armstead finished the second half with 13 points.  She finished the game with 18 points, tied for the game high with Chelsea Rogers who was 6-of-10 from the 3-point line.
 
The two teams have never faced each other in the Southland Conference Tournament.
 
The Lady Demons have had one of its best seasons in recent memory.  It's only the second time the program has had 18 wins in the last 10 seasons.  NSU's 11 conference wins is the most since the 2004-05 season, also the last time NSU had a four game win streak. 
 
Armstead and Lee were both picked to the third team All-Southland Conference squad after leading NSU in points.  Lee's 14.2 points per game was 11^th in the league, and Armstead's 14.1 points were 12^th in the conference.
 
Armstead ranks 17^th in the Southland and first on the team with 6.1 rebounds per game.  Kourtney Pennywell, who averages 5.4, and Chelsea Rogers, who averages 5.1 boards a contest, follow her.
 
Janelle Perez, who has the league's second highest assist-to-turnover ratio and fourth highest assist average (4.2), was named honorable mention.
 
Tony Taglavore will have the call for all Lady Demon basketball games on 100.7 KZBL-FM and on live stream on NSUDemons.com.  If NSU advances, it would play Lamar in the semifinals on Saturday at 11 o'clock.?