NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The rivalry between Northwestern State and Stephen F. Austin will have extra spice Wednesday when the Demons visit the Lumberjacks for a 6:30 p.m. contest.
 
The game has Southland Conference Tournament implications for both NSU (12-13, 9-7 SLC) and league-leading SFA (24-3, 15-1 SLC) with four regular season games remaining.
 
The Demons could secure their first conference tournament slot since 2014-15 with a win and a Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (6-10 SLC) loss.
 
The Jacks could win the league's regular season title with a win and an Abilene Christian (12-4 SLC) loss.
 
Wrap those postseason possibilities around NSU's Ishmael Lane making a tip-in at the buzzer the last time the Demons stepped into William R. Johnson Coliseum this past season, and there shouldn't be any shortage of motivation on either side.
 
"It's an exciting feeling because we have a chance to clinch an (SLC Tournament spot) on the road and go somewhere that none of us have been before," said junior point guard C.J. Jones. "Everybody is embracing the moment this season, and it's helping us play better.
 
"We know we have to come in to compete for 40 minutes straight. It's a rivalry game, so records don't matter. Whoever is better that night is what matters."
 
Fans not in attendance can listen to the action on 95.9 FM with Patrick Netherton or the radio stream on the NSU mobile app or nsudemons.com. A video stream will be available on sfajacks.com.
 
Playing a consistent 40 minutes has been tricky for an NSU team that features eight newcomers, including five of its top six scorers.
 
The Demons fell behind 23-6 early against SFA on Jan. 22 before roaring all the way to tie the game with five minutes remaining. But the Jacks owned those final minutes in a 69-62 win.
 
An SFA pressure defense that denies the wing and fronts the post created stagnant NSU possessions at times, and NSU coach Mike McConathy said seeing that defense again will be an important factor in Wednesday's contest.
 
"Watching the last five minutes, the lessons we learned is that we didn't play through the horn," McConathy said. "SFA did a great job, but did we do everything we could have to defend and rebound?
 
"It is a confidence builder to know that we competed well against them the first time. And it is important that we'll see this defense a second time because it's something that's tough to simulate in practice. They do a phenomenal job of playing on top of you, and we've got to be able to throw the ball over the top. Seeing and experiencing an SFA game does help because they'll know what to expect more."
 
The Demons did battle a tough squad on the boards (won 42-40) against an SFA team that ranks 12^th nationally in rebounding margin (+7.6).
 
NSU couldn't avoid turnovers (committed 21) against a Jacks' group that leads the nation in turnovers forced (21.9) and steals (10.5) per game.
 
Jones and fellow point guard Brian White will play a large role in helping the NSU offense operate under SFA's pressure.
 
"Everyone should be prepared after we've seen them once, and it shows you how tough you have play, and the tougher team will win," Jones said. "Brian and I are trying to be consistent.
 
"It'll be important to penetrate. We'll start off aggressive to try and back the defense up, and eventually we hope we can move the ball and create looks."
 
Transition opportunities in which NSU won't have to execute against a set SFA defense will help, and the Demons will attempt to generate those chances with defensive rebounds and turnovers in which NSU can push the tempo.
 
"We didn't have but five assists the last time because everything we scored was off the dribble," McConathy said. "They take passes away and make you beat them one-on-one.
 
"You have to be tough with the ball and fight through it when you get in situations to score. And we'll have to find a way to share the ball because when we're pushing the tempo and moving and cutting, it's to fun to watch."