NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State barely missed starting Southland Conference play with a win Wednesday, so getting the most out of every possession has been emphasized as the Demons prepare for Saturday afternoon's matchup with visiting McNeese.
 
The Demons and Cowboys share 5-9 overall records going into their 3 p.m. meeting at Prather Coliseum, following a 1 p.m. women's game between the rivals. While NSU squandered a lead down the stretch and dropped a 78-72 decision to defending champion Nicholls in the league opener, McNeese was shooting a sizzling 67 percent in an 88-77 road win at Incarnate Word.
 
After seeing his team give up the lead with just over five minutes to go Wednesday, 20^th-year Demons coach Mike McConathy cringed repeatedly as he and his staff reviewed game tape to identify areas for improvement.
 
"Make winning plays is the simple answer," he said, preparing for his 600^th game at NSU. "We saw so many plays we didn't complete, that could have built our lead or gotten us back even late in the game, but they turned into losing plays. Things like (not) getting a defensive rebound, or offensively (not) making the right cut, or (failing to) step and reach toward a pass. We only had 11 turnovers in the game, but three came in the last three minutes and were crucial in the outcome.
 
"On the other hand, we were 10 down late in the first half and then played with outstanding effort and focus for the next 15 minutes to get the upper hand," he said. "We just didn't sustain it for the entire second half."
 
NSU did get a breakout performance from true freshman point guard Brian White, playing only his third game after being sidelined for a pair of four-week spans with ankle problems Oct. 29 and Dec. 1. White scored 10 points, had three assists and no turnovers in 28 minutes against Nicholls. His return was especially timely since the Demons lost starter C.J. Jones with a separated shoulder Dec. 18.
 
"C.J. is out of the sling now and hopefully we'll see him back on the court sooner than later," said McConathy. "Brian stepped up in just his third game as a Demon, going 28 minutes and playing so efficiently."
 
NSU got 14 points and nine rebounds from senior center Ishmael Lane Wednesday night. He leads the Demons with averages of 12.4 points and 7.1 rebounds.
 
McNeese has three double-digit scorers, led by senior guard James Harvey (12.6 average). Junior forward Roydell Brown is nearly averaging a double-double (11.5 points, 9.8 rebounds) and has his seventh this season with 23 points and 11 rebounds at UIW. The other interior player for the Cowboys, Shamarkus Kennedy, is averaging 11.8 points and 6.6 rebounds, and scored at least 20 for the third straight game Wednesday.
 
"They are a great offensive team who does a phenomenal job of getting the ball to the rack," said McConathy.  "Their guards can shoot the basketball. Roydell Brown is a tremendous player, a tough handful for anyone inside.
 
"You try not to allow second-chance points by doing a good job of rebounding. They've feasted on the offensive boards," he said.
 
The contest can be heard on 100.7 FM KZBL in Natchitoches and through the Demon Sports Network with Patrick Netherton calling the action. Steaming video and audio are available at www.NSUDemons.com/watch or through the new Northwestern State Athletics mobile app, which can be downloaded through either the Apple Store or Google Play.
 
Saturday's outing is the second in a three-game homestand that concludes Wednesday night as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi visits for a 6:30 matchup.