THIBODAUX – The road is home for the Northwestern State basketball team during the holidays and at the outset of the Southland Conference season.
 
After a demanding 11-game non-conference slate, the Demons tip off conference play with three league outings away from Prather Coliseum, beginning Thursday night with a 7 o'clock contest at Nicholls.
 
The Demons (3-8) will play a retooled Colonels squad that is employing, like NSU, a deep playing rotation and a fast-paced offense. Nicholls (6-7) has 12 players averaging at least 10 minutes per game, with four scoring in double digits. Northwestern also has a dozen players getting 10 minutes or more each contest, and three scoring in double figures.
 
"One of the most offensively efficient teams we've seen or will see," said 19^th-year Demons' coach Mike McConathy. "They have made a phenomenal amount of progress since last season and are getting contributions throughout their roster."
 
Nicholls is scoring 89.5 points per game while allowing 83.2, making 47 percent of its shots, including 36 percent on 128 3-point baskets. Northwestern has made just 40 percent overall and only 28 percent on 3-pointers (62) while averaging 68 points.
 
Senior point guard Jalan West is the Demons' top scorer (12.3 per game) and has made nearly half (48 percent) of his 50 3-point shots. He's also averaging 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals.
 
Junior center Ishmael Lane is scoring 11.7 per game and averages a team-best 6.2 rebounds. Senior swingman Iziahiah Sweeney is contributing an 11.5 scoring average, including 18 in NSU's last game at Utah last Wednesday.
 
Lane averaged 15 points, sinking 11 of 19 shots including 3 of 5 on 3-pointers, in last week's games at nationally-ranked Oklahoma and Utah. Sweeney averaged 15.5 points last week.
 
Nicholls is getting 19.1 points and 5.5 rebounds from senior guard Roddy Peters, 16.6 points and 6.8 rebounds by 6-6 senior guard Tevon Saddler, along with 11.5 points from senior guard Lafayette Rutledge and 10.5 points and 3.9 assists from senior point guard Jahvaughn Powell.
 
Peters was the 19^th-ranked player in the country as a high school senior and previously played at Maryland and South Florida before landing in Thibodaux for this season. Saddler, also in his first year with the Colonels, was the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year at UNC-Greensboro and an all-conference pick as a sophomore there.
 
Thursday's game will be aired on the Demon Sports Network including 100.7 FM KZBL in Natchitches and NSUDemons.com.
 
The Demons will play away from Prather Coliseum for the fifth straight time. Saturday afternoon, they visit McNeese, then go to A&M-Corpus Christi next Wednesday before finally playing at home on Jan. 6 against Stephen F. Austin.