NATCHITOCHES – Warning players about the inherent challenges playing a lower-division team presents is commonplace for head basketball coaches.
 
For third-year Northwestern State women's basketball coach Jordan Dupuy, he can open his team's record book and point out exactly why.
 
Almost seven years ago to the day, Loyola of New Orleans came to Prather Coliseum and stunned Northwestern State, 84-80, behind a Prather Coliseum-record 48 points from Keiva Council.
 
At 1 p.m. Saturday, the Wolfpack return to Natchitoches for the first time since that win, which also marked the most recent time the Lady Demons lost to a non-Division I foe. Saturday's game can be heard on 100.7 FM KZBL in Natchitoches and via streaming audio on www.NSUDemons.com or through the new Northwestern State Athletics mobile app, which is available through the Apple Store or Google Play. Tony Taglavore, in his 11^th season, will handle the play-by-play call of the game.
 
"Coach (Kellie) Kennedy does a great job with them," Dupuy said. "They're extremely well coached, do a great job of recruiting and get the type of players they need to be successful."
 
Loyola (3-3) has split its first six countable games while also playing a pair of exhibitions against Tulane and LSU. Saturday's game also will be an exhibition for the Wolfpack, who have won three straight games.
 
"They've played great competition," Dupuy said. "They played Tulane and LSU and the No. 3 team (in NAIA, Campbellsville) and lost by four. It will be a tough test, one you can't take lightly."
 
Northwestern State evened its record with a 13-point win against Alcorn on Tuesday at Prather Coliseum behind a 25-point outing from freshman RaVon Nero.
 
Nero has reached double figures in each of her past three games and her scoring total against Alcorn marked the highest-scoring game by a freshman in Dupuy's three seasons as NSU's head coach. It also was the most points scored by a Lady Demons freshman since Jasmine Bradley dropped 27 on Sam Houston State on Feb. 23, 2011.
 
Nero has tallied 49 of her 50 points on the season in the past three games.
 
"You've got to settle down and get comfortable," she said following Tuesday night's win. "Now and then, you get a little shaky. You have to remember to settle down and enjoy it. Everyone surrounding me is making sure I finish and do my best."