OXFORD, Miss. – After a long offseason with plenty of changes along the way, Northwestern State women's basketball returns to play on Wednesday with the beginning of the 2020-21 season. The Lady Demons take on SEC foe Ole Miss to start the first season under new head coach Anna Nimz.
 
"Overall I'm just excited," Nimz said. "I'm excited for the opportunity to have the girls on the court. Having the season pushed back a bit gave us a handful more practices, but you can only practice against yourself so much. Excited for the girls to be able to play someone new, albeit two Power 5 schools, but it'll be a good and fun opportunity to get on the road with them."
 
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. on SEC Network Plus and fans can hear the game locally on 92.3 FM The Fox or streaming live at www.nsudemons.com or on the NSU athletics mobile app, which is available for download via the Apple Store or Google Play.
 
With many unknowns the past several months and the NCAA and conferences across the country doing their best to prepare for a basketball season in the best and safest way, the Lady Demons have found comfort in the routine of what would otherwise be considered abnormal.
 
"For a long time, it was one day you're playing and the next you weren't or you're playing this team or that and the next you weren't," Nimz said. "Things aren't changing as fast as they were the past few months. 
 
"We've been testing a lot and doing some things you wouldn't have to do in a regular season but hats off to our athletic training staff for making it as normal as possible. It's really no longer that it's not normal, it's just a different routine."
 
The travel routine remains close to the same as it always has and when the Lady Demons tip off on Wednesday against Ole Miss, the 40 minutes of game time will bring even more familiarity for the players and coaching staff – a return to basketball.
 
The Lady Rebels have just a handful of players back from a year ago and added several newcomers to the team, just like the Lady Demons. Even with a crop of new players, the athleticism, length and size still present NSU with challenges around the floor, as it would any other year.
 
"It's about execution and having some poise about us," Nimz said. "Playing at that level, our first game, playing a lot of freshmen, this is really stepping into the fire when you're playing an SEC team like this.
 
"They are a smart team; they are elite athletes and will make the right read. What can't happen is getting away from the scout. You have to believe in it and work hard to execute it. If we're able to execute to the best of our ability and they're still able to make shots, that's just part of basketball."