BEAUMONT, Texas – Northwestern State and Lamar are picking up momentum as the stretch run begins in the Southland Conference basketball race, so sustaining it is the goal when they collide Wednesday night at 7 in the Cardinals' Montagne Center.

NSU (9-15 overall, 4-7 in the Southland) is an overtime loss to third-place New Orleans away from a three-game win streak, having posted its last two victories on the road at Central Arkansas and McNeese. Lamar (12-12, 5-6) has rallied from a 2-4 start in conference play to capture three of its last four, including an impressive 82-67 victory last Saturday at Stephen F. Austin as the Cardinals took a 41-13 rebounding advantage.

"They're playing extremely well," said 20^th-year Demons' coach Mike McConathy. "They're disciplined and tough-minded. They have some really good parts, starting with one of the best players in the league with Nick Garth (15.6 points per game), who can really fill it up. They have done a fantastic job rebounding."

NSU's surge has featured much-improved shooting, 53 percent in the last three games compared to 39 percent in the previous 21.

"We've gotten transition buckets, and we've had better ball movement," said McConathy. "We say the ball doesn't stick. It's not being dribbled, it's being passed and that creates open shots and lanes to drive.

"It also has something to do with Ishmael Lane. He's not getting as many attempts as we'd like but he's been very productive with the shots he's getting."

The Demons' 6-8, 250-pound senior forward/center earned Southland Player of the Week recognition after averaging 18 points, 13.5 rebounds and five blocked shots in two games last week. He sank 16 of 22 shots while pushing his streak of double-double performances to seven straight, the best active run in the country.

Eight of NSU's 11 league games have been decided in the final minute, including each of the Demons' victories.

"It's beneficial when you've been there before. We've had success in late-game situations," said McConathy. "We have shown toughness fighting back and we've held onto leads."

With seven conference games left, four on the road, the Demons' 3-2 mark away from home is encouraging as the scramble intensifies to be among the eight teams advancing to next month's Southland Tournament. NSU stands 10^th in the 13-team league, but is just a game and a half away from fifth.

"The road's been a good place for us," said McConathy. "That goes back to toughness and our ability to improve at this point in the season. We're not that far off from being in the middle of the pack, but you have to win your games along the way and not depend on anyone else.

"We are getting better in a lot of areas. The factor that can't be overlooked is how hard this team plays, and when you do that, you are going to be in position to win."

The Demons' preparation has been high level regardless of the last game's outcome, he said, and that focus has been key.
 
"This group has really locked into the game plans. Instead of getting bitter, they're trying to get better when we correct them. It's a credit to them and it's also a credit to our assistant coaches, Jeff Moore, Bill Lewit and Jacob Spielbauer, for the way they're teaching," he said.

Sophomore point guard C.J. Jones stepped up last week, scoring a season-best 14 points with four assists against UNO and issuing seven assists in the win at McNeese, after NSU lost freshman point guard Brian White to a right foot injury in the Feb. 2 win at Central Arkansas.

"C.J. has done a really nice job. When a point guard is playing 30 minutes a game in our system, it's a challenge and he's responded to the situation very well," said McConathy. "John Norvel isn't a true point guard, but he's accepted his role and has made critical plays and good basketball plays for us, so we've compensated to some degree."

NSU was boosted by a career-best 24 points from senior DeAndre Love at McNeese. Classmate Malik Metoyer scored a season-high 10, including the difference-maker on a drive and floater with 16.8 seconds left, followed by a block by Lane and a contested shot from Norvel to deny the Cowboys in the final seconds.

Wednesday night's game can be heard on 100.7 FM KZBL, 103.1 KDBV-FM and on the Demon Sports Network. Streaming audio is available at www.NSUDemons.com/watch and through the new Northwestern State Athletics mobile app, which can be downloaded from the Apple Store or on Google Play. The Demons' 14-year veteran announcer, Patrick Netherton, will handle the play-by-play.

The contest can be seen on ESPN+ in a Lamar-produced stream.

The Demons host Stephen F. Austin Saturday afternoon at 3:30 in Prather Coliseum.