TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – For the Northwestern State women's basketball team to operate at maximum efficiency, health is more than a virtue. It is a necessity.
 
As an eight-day break with no games comes to an end Sunday at 2 p.m. in Alabama, the Lady Demons are close to achieving full health at just the right time.
 
Sunday's game will air on 100.7 FM KZBL in Natchitoches and via streaming audio on both www.NSUDemons.com and through the new Northwestern State Athletics app, which can be downloaded either through the Apple Store or Google Play. Tony Taglavore, in his 11^th season, will handle the play-by-play call of the game.
 
The game also will stream on SEC Network Plus with Eli Gold (play-by-play), Rick Moody (analyst) and Mackenzie McClintock (sideline) calling the action.
 
Northwestern State began getting healthy in more ways than one in a 94-51 win against Centenary on Dec. 8, a game in which the Lady Demons forced 45 turnovers, marking the third time in the past two seasons NSU has turned its opponent over more than 40 times.
 
"That was a confidence game," third-year head coach Jordan Dupuy said. "We hoped to play a lot of people, and nobody played more than 22 minutes. We're going to need everybody. We're getting healthy, which is huge. For us to play the want to play, we need everybody."
 
As the Lady Demons (4-4) continue to improve, so does the Crimson Tide (6-4), which snapped a two-game losing streak by defeating Tulane on Dec. 8.
 
Much like Northwestern State, Alabama is nearing optimal health as well.
 
"They just got their point guard, Jordan Lewis, back," Dupuy said. "She's a great competitor. I recruited her when I was at Southern Miss, known her for a long time. They're going to start hitting their stride. We'll have the same amount of time to get ready. We'll have to find out who's ready to play. We need to play confident and play the style we want to play."
 
It is clear the type of style Dupuy prefers.
 
After its 45-turnover performance against Centenary, the Lady Demons' defense leads the country in turnovers forced per game at 28.1.
 
Northwestern State has forced at least 16 turnovers in all eight games this season and turned them into 212 points, an average of 26.5 points per game.
 
The Lady Demons scored 50 of their 94 points against Centenary off Ladies' turnovers with 33 of those coming in the second half.
 
"We've got to find a way to start the game the way we need to," Dupuy said. "What we have to do better is have a consistent effort on the floor. There was a difference between the first half and the second half. We have to do it more consistently over the course of 40 minutes."
 
Like many Power Five teams, Alabama features a roster full of length, size and athleticism, something Dupuy pointed out.
 
Jasmine Walker, a 6-foot-3 sophomore forward, leads the Crimson Tide in scoring (13.3 ppg) and rebounding (7.4). Alabama's size, Dupuy said, puts a premium on the Lady Demons' balancing aggression with playing smart basketball.
 
"We have to pick and choose our spots," he said. "We are not a half-court offensive or defensive team. We have to create that tempo, turn people over. That has to be our identity right now.
 
"Alabama played mostly zone against Tulane, and Tulane is like us to a degree in terms of running stuff against man that is difficult to defend and prepare for. If they decide they don't want to defend that, we'll see more zone. They'll use their speed, quickness and length to plug up the middle and make us score over the top. If we don't, we'll face that the rest of the season. We welcome the challenge and look to get more productive."