By: Doug Ireland, Assistant Athletic Director/Sports Information Director
LUBBOCK, Texas – Northwestern State's basketball team has saved the best for last in a stacked deck of early-season road tests.
Wednesday evening at 6:30, the Demons face 11
th-ranked Texas Tech, one of nine unbeaten teams in the country, coming off a 2018 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance.
The Demons (2-7) will play for the first time in nine days, since falling 80-59 at Texas A&M in a game that saw the Aggies score 11 of the last 13 points to pull away.
NSU will unquestionably face its most challenging opponent in the Red Raiders (8-0), who lead the nation by holding opponents to 33.7 percent shooting and are second in scoring defense, giving up 52.5 points per game. Texas Tech is also seventh in 3-point defense, allowing just 25.6 percent aim.
"Texas Tech is a reflection of its coaching staff. Very tough, very determined, very talented. They're going to take it to you," said 20
th-year NSU coach
Mike McConathy. "They've been very successful because they have great core values and their players are totally bought-in to that hard-nosed philosophy. To see what they're doing with their team, it's remarkable."
The Red Raiders will be the sixth Texas-based opponent in 10 outings for the Demons, who showed some signs of progress during the second half at Texas A&M. NSU was shooting over 50 percent until missing seven of its last eight shots as the Aggies stretched out their lead in the final four minutes.
"I think we're better than our record, but it's hard to tell because of the quality of our opponents," said McConathy. "We're caught in a difficult stretch, some very challenging games, and we're hopeful we can get through Wednesday night with the belief that we're progressing.
"We want to head into our last three non-conference games with a great sense of who we are, and then refine our roles and continue to get better," he said. "We have some guys taking a step up.
Darian Dixon and
C.J. Jones are two sophomores who are playing better. We have some other guys who need to step up as we go toward the Southland Conference season."
Dixon had season-high totals of 10 points and seven rebounds against the Aggies, while Jones scored 13 points and issued a career-best seven assists. Senior forward
Ishmael Lane led NSU with 16 points.
"It is hard to judge the improvement from last Monday to this week, especially when you're heading to play one of the top teams in the country," said McConathy. "It's very difficult."
NSU will next play Saturday night against Southern's Jaguars at 7:30 in the Gold Dome at Centenary in Shreveport, as the final game of the Shreveport-Bossier Holiday Classic. The Demons wrap up their pre-Christmas schedule next Tuesday night (Dec. 18) at home against Louisiana College.
