By: Doug Ireland, Assistant Athletic Director/Sports Information Director
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – A Northwestern State basketball team trying to find its offensive stride visits a Texas A&M Aggies squad known for years for rugged defense in a 7 p.m. matchup Monday night.
The contest, the first in a week for the Aggies (2-4) and the second in three days for the Demons (2-6), will air on the SEC Network.
It's the first of two straight games against 2018 NCAA Tournament entries for NSU, which takes a break for final exams before visiting Elite Eight entry Texas Tech on Dec. 12.
Texas A&M hasn't played since dumping visiting South Alabama 74-62 on Nov. 23.
The Demons are in a shooting and scoring slump after falling 77-47 Saturday night at Texas-El Paso.
NSU shot just 3-for-17 on 3-pointers, extending a 10-for-52 skid in the previous two games. In their first five outings, the Demons sank a solid 35 percent of their shots behind the arc.
Overall, Northwestern made only 35 percent of its field goal tries at UTEP, following a season-worst 30 percent outing at home Tuesday night against UL Monroe.
Ishmael Lane's 13.4 scoring average tops NSU but includes four single-digit outings in the last five games. He's the only Demon scoring in double digits.
"I really like the way our guys work in practice, but we haven't carried that into competition the last two times out," said 20
th-year coach
Mike McConathy. "At times against higher-level competition we've had good stretches of quality minutes. We haven't been able to sustain those yet, and we haven't had any of it in the last two games.
"Texas A&M will be as good defensively as any team we will see. Hopefully our young men will accept the challenge and bring the focus and relentless effort that we must have Monday night," he said.
The Aggies get 15.5 points and 7.5 rebounds from Savion Flagg and 13.5 points by T.J. Starks.
Former Centenary and Southeastern Louisiana coach Billy Kennedy is in his seventh year leading the Aggies. He was an assistant coach at NSU in 1988-89 on Dan Bell's first staff and helped the Demons upset Kentucky in Rupp Arena.
"Billy Kennedy is one of the finest coaches and best people in college basketball," said McConathy. "You know his teams are going to be smart and tough and give great effort."
After Monday's contest, NSU won't play again until going to Texas Tech, then on Dec. 15 in Shreveport in the Shreveport-Bossier Holiday Classic at the Centenary Gold Dome against Southern's Jaguars. The Demons' next home game is Dec. 18 when Louisiana College visits.
