NATCHITOCHES – Just one win from clinching a spot in the Southland Conference Tournament, the sixth-place Northwestern State women's basketball team has a lot to play for in the final weekend of the regular season that starts with conference-leader Central Arkansas on Thursday at 5:30 in Prather Coliseum.
 
NSU (16-12, 9-7 Southland Conference) is returning home after a five-game road swing, and the Lady Demons took three of the five games.  Central Arkansas (18-9, 12-4 SLC) has been atop the standings for most of the conference season, and is one win away from locking up a share of the league title.
 
Six teams, including Northwestern State, are in a battle for the final three available spots. NSU leads the way with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (9-7), Oral Roberts (8-8), Houston Baptist (7-9), Southeastern Louisiana (7-9), and Sam Houston (6-10) all within reach.
 
The Lady Demons still have a chance at fourth place, but would need to win both games and have help.  McNeese State and Nicholls are currently tied for fourth place, and will play at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Houston Baptist.  Northwestern State needs McNeese to lose two and Nicholls to lose one.
 
"It's a jumbled mess, basically first through eighth place is still a toss up," said second-year coach head coach Brooke Stoehr.  "The fun thing about it is that a lot of people are still playing for something.  Last year we were scrambling to get in, but this year we're in sixth with a chance to move up if we take care of business.
 
"There are a lot of teams that are fighting for position, and that's fun because it speaks to the parity of our league," she said. "It's indicative of how the season has gone."
 
NSU and UCA faced each other in the sixth game of the conference season at Central Arkansas, and the Sugar Bears used a strong second half to surge by the Lady Demons, 73-61.   Trudy Armstead led all scorers in that game with her season-high 29 points, but UCA used a 9-0 run to open the second frame to give the Sugar Bears an 11-point cushion they would not give up.
 
"They are difficult to guard when you look at their inside-outside combination, but I think their biggest thing is the way they defend," said Stoehr.  "We scored 61 there and didn't feel like we shot the ball well.  We have to be very sharp on the offensive floor and get good looks against they're strong defense."
 
UCA averages 63.1 points a game this season and holds its opponents to 56 points a contest.  The Sugar Bears shoot 43 percent from field and 34 percent from 3-point range. They are led in scoring and rebounding by Courtney Duever; she averages 15.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.
 
"Central Arkansas brings one of the best players in the league in Courntey Duever.  She's a tremendous player and has had a great career there," said Stoehr.
 
"She can score the basketball and is very active.  She works for position and is a very good passer, she said. "They also have some good players around her.  They have a couple of freshmen, Mullins and Proffitt, that have stepped up on the perimeter to give them balance."
 
Brianna Mullins and Maggie Proffitt score in double-figures at 10.4 and 10.3 points per game, respectively.
 
NSU, who carries a 5-2 home record in conference play, averages 63.6 points and allows 63.5 points per game.  The Lady Demons shoot 41 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3-point range.
 
Armstead leads the Lady Demons with 14.2 points per game followed by 14.1 from Keisha Lee and Janelle Perez's 10.3 per game.  Armstead averages 6.1 rebounds ahead of freshman Kourtney Pennywell's 5.9 per contest.
 
The Lady Demons will finish the regular season against Oral Roberts in Prather Coliseum on Saturday.  Northwestern State will honor three seniors in Armstead, Meredith Graf, and Jasmine Bradley.