NATCHITOCHES – For the Northwestern State basketball team, a trip to the Southland Conference Tournament next week is within their grasp even if it takes knocking off league-unbeaten Stephen F. Austin to punch the ticket.
 
Thursday night at 7:30, the Demons play their final home game, hosting the Lumberjacks for both teams' penultimate contest in the 18-game league schedule. It's "Orange Out" night on a "Pack Prather" promotion at Prather Coliseum, with a crucial women's matchup between the neighborhood rivals at 5:30 starting the rare weeknight doubleheader.
 
NSU goes to New Orleans Saturday evening. A win in either game gets the Demons heading to Katy, Texas, for a first-round game next Wednesday. They  can also qualify if Nicholls loses either of its two remaining games, but veteran coach Mike McConathy and his team don't consider that an option.
 
"We've got to handle our business. Nobody is trying to help us," said McConathy.
 
It's a tough assignment Thursday night for the Demons (8-18 overall, 5-11 in the Southland) against the Lumberjacks (23-5, 16-0). While NSU has at its best in the past six weeks, winning five of its last nine, the Demons have dropped three of their last four, two that came down to the buzzer, including an 84-82 loss Monday at Southeastern Louisiana. The Demons gave SFA its closest game at home this year, an 83-72 decision on Feb. 8 in Nacogdoches, despite making 18 turnovers in the first half.
 
"We're continuing to figure out who we are as a team," said McConathy. "We've got to rebound better, take care of the ball much better (than in the first meeting with the Lumberjacks), playing a really tough SFA team that has plenty of talent, a very good team leader in Thomas Walkup, and is very well coached. They're very efficient offensively, very hard-nosed and tough, and we have to compete at our highest level and be as tough as we possibly can be."
 
Typically, McConathy's teams in his previous 16 seasons have peaked in February and March, and have been quite successful in the Southland Tournament. He's optimistic the Demons have the ingredients to be a contender in Katy.
 
"I believe we do. We aren't as deep as we need to be able to interchange personnel like we've done in past years. But we have seen players rise up and have big games, just not consistently," he said. "The X-factor for us is Tra'von Joseph, who is not 100 percent back from his knee surgery yet but is coming around and can do so many things for us. His versatility and ability to give us double-double production in scoring and rebounding could elevate us, based on what we've seen in the last couple of games."
 
The Demons have the league's top scorer, junior swingman Zeek Woodley, who is eighth nationally with a 22.7 average and is 12^th in the country with 88.1 percent free throw aim. Junior guard Sabri Thompson (12.9 points per game), freshman center Ishmael Lane (11.6 points, 5.8 rebounds) and sophomore point guard Devonte Hall (10.7 points, 6.4 assists pg, 12^th nationally) are the other most productive figures for NSU.
 
Walkup, the reigning Southland Player of the Year, is coming off a triple-double outing (12 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists) in SFA's victory Monday night at Incarnate Word.  He leads SFA with a 16.8 scoring average and a 6.9 rebounding rate, with Demetrious Floyd scoring 13.6 and Clide Geffrard at 13.5 per game.
 
The game will be broadcast on the Demon Sports Network, flagshipped by 100.7 FM KZBL in Natchitoches and including 92.1 KSYR FM in Shreveport and 103.1 KWLA FM serving Many and Leesville. A pay-per-view video stream is available at NSUDemons.com.
 
The contest will be the final homecourt appearance for senior starter Ta'Jon Welcome and key reserve Matt Killian, along with walk-ons Will Poole and Daniel Hazlewood. They and injured senior Jalan West were recognized in Senior Day ceremonies Feb. 20. The Lady Demons' trio of seniors – Janelle Perez, Keisha Lee and Megan Cross – will be honored at halftime of the men's game Thursday night.
 
While the Demons host the Lumberjacks, Nicholls goes to Central Arkansas Thursday night. When NSU visits UNO Saturday, Nicholls hosts Southeastern Louisiana. Any Demon win or Nicholls loss will get NSU into the Southland's eight-team tournament bracket.