Women's Basketball | 11/11/2017 3:18:00 PM

NATCHITOCHES – Following Friday's season-opening loss at Ole Miss, the Northwestern State women's basketball coaching staff vowed to stay positive.
 
With a short turnaround between the opener and the Lady Demons' first home game of the 2017-18 season, that was a must. Less than 48 hours after beginning the season, NSU opens the Prather Coliseum portion of its schedule by hosting LeTourneau at 2 p.m. Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader between the schools.
 
Both games will air on 100.7 FM KZBL with free live audio streaming available at www.NSUDemons.com.
 
"No matter what happens, they're going to throw the ball up at 2 p.m. Sunday, and we need to be ready," second-year head coach Jordan Duupy said. "(Saturday) will be a combination of putting in a game plan in less than a day because we got back so late (from Ole Miss) and getting enough rest at the same time. It's going to be more of a mental workout. We'll spend a lot of time in the film room looking at LeTourneau and learning from Ole Miss."
 
What the Lady Demons (0-1) learned Friday was they had a group that was ready to step up and fill the voids in an injury-affected roster.
 
The Lady Demons played without four players Friday, including a pair who are out for the season.
 
In their stead, junior Libba Gilliam tied a career-high with 14 points and sophomore Jasmyn Johnson delivered a career-high 10 points in her first career start in the 75-44 loss at Ole Miss.
 
"There were some good things," Dupuy said. "We'll stay positive with them, and hopefully, we'll get our hurt ones back in the next couple of games"
 
Sunday's matchup marks the third straight season the Lady Demons and Yellowjackets will meet. NSU has won each of the first three in that stretch, all of which were season openers for the Lady Demons.
 
Four NSU newcomers made their debuts Friday evening – guards Jha'ne Wheeler and Jada Freeman and forwards Leah Barnes and Lacee Savage.
 
Wheeler was the lone member of the quartet to score, connecting on a game-tying 3-pointer in the first quarter – the first shot of her collegiate career.
 
Similarly, the Yellowjackets will bring a different look into Sunday's game.
 
LeTourneau has a first-year coach in Cassie Rozanski and does not return a starter from a team that went 13-13 overall and 10-5 in the American Southwest Conference in 2016-17.