NATCHITOCHES – Normally, a meeting between Northwestern State and Stephen F. Austin in any sport draws a crowd.
 
Saturday's basketball doubleheader, which tips of with the Ladyjacks and Lady Demons meeting at 1:02 p.m. on ESPN3, should be no different as Northwestern State holds its annual "Pack Prather" promotion.
 
"It's going to be huge," first-year head coach Jordan Dupuy said. "We're bringing in one of the best teams in our conference. They're good athletically, both inside and outside. We want to make sure we have a good crowd, but we need it for every game. It's a reward for our girls. They want to know they're supported to the fullest. We need the crowd's presence here."
 
In addition to "Pack Prather," which includes a $10 NSU Alumni Association tailgate and the annual NSU Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be collecting canned goods for their SAAC Hunger drive.
 
On the court, the Lady Demons (9-11, 3-6 Southland Conference) should be well rested. Northwestern State has not played in seven days after dropping a 73-60 decision at Lamar on Jan. 28.
 
Despite that loss, Dupuy found plenty of positives to take with him into a week's worth of preparation for the Lady Demons' longtime rivals.
 
"At halftime, we had 16 baskets and 12 assists," he said. "When you assist on 75 percent of your baskets, you're doing a great job of offensive execution. We had 11 turnovers in the first three quarters against a team that leads the nation in forcing turnovers. That fourth quarter set us back, but if we play the way we did in those first three quarters for 40 minutes, we'll be OK."
 
Northwestern State shifts from facing a Lamar team that entered that game leading the nation in turnovers forced and in steals to a Stephen F. Austin (17-3, 8-1) squad that leads the Southland in scoring (76.1 points per game).
 
At the top of the SFA offense is senior point guard Taylor Ross, who ranks third in the Southland Conference in scoring (18.1 points per game) and second in the conference in assists per game (5.1).
 
In some ways, Ross is a mirror image of Lady Demons senior point guard Beatrice Attura, who ranks second in the league in scoring (18.9) and third in assists per game (5.0).
 
"Ross does a great job of running her team," Dupuy said. "Whenever they need a play, she makes it, whether it's scoring a basket or setting people up. She's been through the wars, and she's won."
 
Dupuy credited SFA's staff with building a team that "can win scoring in the 80s or in the 50s," which will put the onus on him and his staff, which includes associate head coach Deneen Parker, a Stephen F. Austin Athletics Hall of Fame inductee.
 
"It all comes down to preparation," Dupuy said. "It's our job up until the ball gets tossed up. We told our players that. Then it's their job to implement what we've worked on. Saturday (at Lamar), I didn't have to come in with guns blazing after the loss. We did what we wanted to do for the most part. I saw the disappointment in their face after the game. Hopefully, they'll learn lessons from Saturday and make sure we play 40 minutes (against SFA), because that's what it's going to take."
 
In addition to the ESPN3 broadcast, the game can be heard on the Demon Sports Network, which includes 100.7 FM KZBL in Natchitoches and 92.1 FM KSYR in Shreveport. Free streaming audio is available at www.NSUDemons.com. Tony Taglavore, in his ninth season, will handle the play-by-play call of the game.