Lady Demon Basketball | 12/2/2017 9:00:00 AM

MONROE – For the third time this season, the Northwestern State women's basketball team will face an in-state opponent when the Lady Demons travel to Monroe on Sunday.
 
The 2 p.m. tipoff against UL Monroe is Northwestern State's first non-conference road game against a Louisiana opponent since Dec. 6, 2014, when the Lady Demons traveled to Grambling. The game can be heard on 100.7 FM KZBL in Natchitoches.
 
The importance of the matchup isn't lost on second-year coach Jordan Dupuy.
 
"You have to play (state rivals)," he said. "It's good from the standpoint of getting basketball out there in the state. It's good from a recruiting, logistical and financial standpoint. It makes sense to play these teams.
 
"ULM is going to be great competition for us every year. They're two hours away. We've negotiated and talked about it. We need to maintain this series. To me, it's great. It doesn't hurt you in recruiting if you happen to get beat. Any chance for us to get our program out in the state of Louisiana, I think you have to do it, and it's something we will continue to do."
 
Nearly a year ago to the day, the Lady Demons (3-3) and Warhawks (2-3) played for the first time in six seasons, producing a down-to-the-wire finish with Northwestern State emerging victorious, 67-65, thanks to a Beatrice Attura 3-pointer with 21.9 seconds to play.
 
NSU and ULM enter this season's matchup in similar situations as both teams have had more success at home than away from it.
 
The Lady Demons are looking for their first road win while ULM has emerged victorious in home games against Centenary and Millsaps.
 
Natchitoches Central product Garbriella Cortez leads the Warhawks in scoring (18 points per game) and rebounding (8.2) while standing ninth nationally in 3-point shooting (57.7 percent) and 12^th in field-goal percentage (66.0).
 
A ULM defense that blocks 5.6 shots per game will test an NSU squad that is slowly rounding back into better health.
 
NSU played the first three games of the season without injured juniors Nautica Grant and Cheyenne Brown as well as senior Sami Thomas and sophomore Nia Randall.
 
Grant made her Lady Demons debut on Nov. 19 at Oklahoma State and has averaged eight points in her first three games. Brown missed the first five games, returning Tuesday night against Southern Miss to deliver a team-high 21 points in a 71-59 loss.
 
The junior duo will play their first road game together against the Warhawks, joining a Lady Demons squad that has shown flashes on the road against Power Five opponents Ole Miss and Oklahoma state in its first two road contests of the season.
 
"We've emphasized (a different road mind-set) in April," Dupuy said. "A lot of the downfalls last year on the road came when things weren't going our way. We can't have that kind of team this year. We have to have the mentality that, when you walk onto someone else's court, you're down 15 points. You can't get away with the same mistakes you do at home. They have to understand that, and I think they do. The thing that helps in that is that our team chemistry is better this year. Our girls enjoy each other on and off the court. There's a bond there, and you can carry that with you onto the court and overcome obstacles."