LUBBOCK, Texas – There was plenty to build on and be pleased with for Northwestern State following a 79-49 loss to Texas Tech on Friday evening.
 
The Lady Demons (2-3) responded to a halftime challenge issued by fourth-year head coach Jordan Dupuy of forcing more turnovers, seeing an improved shooting performance, and being in good position defensively to cut down on fouls. NSU did all of those things well in the second half.
 
"We turned it over too much overall, but we forced 11 turnovers in the second half," Dupuy said. "A lot of positive things to build from and good things to teach from. I was really proud of the team we were in the second half."
 
Looking for a better start to the game than the previous three, it appeared as if the Lady Demons got what they wanted when Jasmyn Johnson drained a 3-pointer from the corner to put NSU ahead 3-2 early. Fouls and turnovers over the next three minutes of play however would halt any momentum the offense gained from the shot. 
 
A 19-2 Lady Raider run put them up 21-6 with just over four minutes left in the quarter. NSU finished the quarter on an 8-1 swing with freshman Julia Sion sparking the run on a bucket and foul shot that made it a 22-14 game going into the second.
 
Texas Tech used big scoring quarters in its first two wins to pull away from its opponents. The Lady Raiders did that in the second quarter on Friday.
 
Tech outscored NSU 26-7 in the second using their size around the basket and multiple trips to the free throw line to build the big lead. A dip in offense from NSU, going 3-for-15 from the field, and the uptick from TTU, 9-of-17, made it 48-21 at the half. 
 
The second half looked far different for the Lady Demons, playing the entire 20 minutes even with Texas Tech and trailing just 31-28 after the final two periods.
 
The shots began to fall early in the third for NSU with Johnson grabbing a steal and hitting a pull up jumper on the other end 43 seconds into the half. The scrappy NSU defense forced five turnovers through the first six minutes of the quarter, frustrating the Tech offense.
 
A minute long, 6-0 run from the Lady Raiders made the quarter appear closer than the numbers would indicate, but NSU won the third with a 16-15 output.
 
The strong play continued into the four with the Lady Demons getting the first seven points of the quarter, forcing a Tech timeout to put a stop to any building momentum. The break worked like a charm. Texas Tech ended the game with an 18-5 margin to seal away its third to start the season.
 
Forced into action due to early foul trouble, Sion led the Lady Demons in scoring with nine points and showed even more on the defensive side against the Lady Raiders 6-foot-5-inch center.
 
NSU returns to Prather Coliseum on Wednesday for a Thanksgiving Eve contest with LSU-Shreveport scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start.
 
Stay connected to NSU women's basketball by following @NSUDemonsWBB on Twitter, @nsuladydemons on Instagram, or liking Northwestern State women's basketball on Facebook.