NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State women's basketball team can be thankful for plenty this week.
 
Perhaps nothing more so than being able to sleep in their own beds and playing a pair of home games, starting with a 6:30 p.m. Tuesday tip against Alcorn. The game can be heard on 100.7 FM KZBL or through streaming audio on www.NSUDemons.com or through the new Northwestern State Athletics app, which is available for download through the Apple Store or Google Play. Tony Taglavore, in his 11th season, will handle the play-by-play call of the game. 
 
After playing two of its first three games away from home, Northwestern State (1-2) is in a stretch where it is at home for four of its next five contests. Still, the lessons learned from trips to Arkansas and Oklahoma are embedded in the Lady Demons' collective psyche.
 
"Think of the venues we played in and in front of big crowds and having a little bit of success, that prepares you for a game like Tuesday," third-year head coach Jordan Dupuy said. "We still have to prepare like we should. The first couple of practices have been good, and hopefully, we have another good day of practice (Monday)."
 
The Lady Demons have not played since a 93-56 loss to Oklahoma on Nov. 15. That matchup marked the second of the season against a Power Five conference foe for Northwestern State, which has topped 50 points in both meetings.
 
Against Oklahoma, freshman RaVon Nero led the NSU offense with 11 points while fifth-year senior Sami Thomas added 10, a career high for Thomas against a Power Five team.
 
Thomas returned to action after missing the entire 2017-18 season and the final five games of the 2016-17 campaign after suffering a knee injury in February 2017. Through three games, Thomas is averaging 8.3 points per game and a team-leading four assists.
 
Thomas' 12 assists have come against just three turnovers, and her 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 41^st nationally and third in the Southland Conference.
 
"I expect her numbers to go up once she gets in better game shape," Dupuy said. "She got in foul trouble and never really got in rhythm at Arkansas. We played a lot of people against LeTourneau. She started building some confidence at Oklahoma, and I look forward to her continuing to do that.
 
"She's knocking down shots, playing within herself and getting people where they need to be. She's been a big piece of the puzzle so far."
 
Alcorn (0-3) fell to Southeastern Louisiana, 77-59, on Nov. 15 in its most recent game.
 
Dupuy is familiar with the Lady Braves, having spent more than a decade on staff at Southern Mississippi.
 
"They play extremely hard," Dupuy said. "They get up and down the floor. They're going to press. They're going to attack the basket. They want to play at an up-and-down tempo. It's going to be tough for us to deal with."
 
The Lady Braves have surrendered at least 70 points in all three games thus far this season and have been outscored by an average of almost 19 points per game.
 
Meanwhile, each of Northwestern State's first three games of the season has been decided by no less than 37 points.
 
"We're going to have to play extremely well," Dupuy said. "We have to execute and do the simple things to win."