CONWAY, Ark. – A long, challenging month for Northwestern State comes to an end on Saturday as it closes out the first half of the conference schedule at Central Arkansas.

The Lady Demons (0-11, 0-6 SLC) had moments of success and production this week at New Orleans, to the point where they entered the fourth quarter down by just five points and a real chance to secure their first victory.

Three critical turnovers and an 0-for-7 stretch early in the fourth left the door open for UNO that they kicked down with authority. A 3-for-5 effort from beyond the arc in the final quarter turned the close game into a 15-point margin.

"We talked coming in about if you give a team that's 0-4 some confidence, they're going to rally and that's what they did," first-year head coach Ann Nimz said following Wednesday's game. "We were playing better early because we found some confidence so it was a battle that we lost and it's frustrating."

Five assists on their five made buckets in their first quarter showed the offensive efficiency at its peak. Still turnovers proved too much for the Lady Demons to overcome, averaging six per quarter in the first, third and fourth. NSU only turned the ball over twice in the second, but still trailed by six at the half.

They ended the night with 20 turnovers, the seventh time this season they've had more than 20 in a game and the sixth time in the past seven games. A season-high 14 steals and 21 forced turnovers were not enough to overcome the fourth-quarter slump.

While Nimz was pleased with the effort displayed throughout the first half, a great carry over from the second half of the Southeastern game, the adversity in the fourth quarter led to another frustrating end to the night.

"We made some adjustments at halftime to their extended 2-3 zone," Nimz said. "But when adversity hits, right now we're kind of folding on it and not making smart basketball plays."

Facing a surging Central Arkansas (4-10, 2-4 SLC) team that has won two wins in its last three games, the NSU defensive effort will have to be evident from the outset. Not something new for NSU, but something that takes on an increased importance on Saturday.

"We have to stay engaged for the entire possession and limit second chance opportunities," Nimz said. "We need to get a physical body on them and pursue the ball aggressively with two hands.

"I felt like the girls played hard against UNO. They fought hard for the 50-50 ball and were able to create some extra possessions. Unfortunately, we did not capitalize on quite a few open shots and transition layups. We've got to continue to get better at valuing the ball and making the smart pass."

Junior transfer Lucy Ibeh has been a key part of the UCA surge, scoring 14 or more points in each of the past three games and leading the Sugar Bears with at 11.5 points per game. Her 31-point outing at Nicholls sparked the two of three win run they are currently enjoying.

The Sugar Bears have shot 43 percent in each of their last two games, their best two outings in conference play.