NATCHITOCHES – When a team plays opponents that aren't similar in stature, coaches use other factors besides the final score to evaluate their team.

Four days after playing its second ranked opponent of the season at No. 19 LSU, Northwestern State returns home to face Southwestern Adventist on Saturday at 6 p.m.

The game is part of a split doubleheader as the NSU women take on Tarleton State at 1 p.m. Tickets are $1, and a single ticket earns admission into both games.

When the Knights (4-5), the third member of the National Christian College Athletic Association on the schedule this season, come to town, NSU coach Mike McConathy wants to see his Demons apply the same kind of pressure for 40 minutes that LSU applied to them Tuesday.

"LSU did what they were supposed to do in that they kept the gas on and kept playing hard," McConathy said. "We have to understand that if we get a lead, like the 17-0 lead we got against Dallas Christian, we need to do the same thing.

"We kept pace with Dallas Christian after the beginning, but we didn't push the gas. We need to continue to execute all those little things."

The Crusaders made eight of their 13 3-pointers in the second half and shot 47 percent after halftime as they outscored NSU by three points in the second half of an 89-67 NSU win.

Against Champion Christian earlier this season, the Tigers jumped out to a 9-4 lead and scored 38 first-half points before the Demons clamped down in the second half of a 91-62 win.

With final exams finished and the rush of eight November games to start the season complete, the Demons are getting more practice time in between games and are able to better target their deficiencies.

"We've seen better execution, and maybe we're starting to communicate better on the floor," McConathy said. "The real struggle is overcoming the frustration of playing high-major opponents and making our players understand that they do have value.

"You can't assess your value based on the score, you assess if you won this part of the game or competed in things like rebounding and turnovers."

When NSU (2-9) looks for areas of competitiveness in the 40-point loss at LSU, the Demons can point to rebounding.

NSU grabbed 14 offensive rebounds, its best against a Division I opponent this season, and hung with LSU on the boards until the Tigers added late rebounds to win the category by 14.

"Fourteen offensive rebounds against LSU is really good, and when you do that against most teams, you'll be in pretty good shape," McConathy said. "We're hoping to start shooting a better field goal percentage and making more 3-pointers.

"We're taking good shots, and we're set and ready. We also have to do better at getting back in transition and stopping transition points."

Freshman Kendal Coleman recorded his second straight double double and third this season with 16 points and 13 rebounds at LSU.

Sophomores Cedric Garrett (15 points and four rebounds) and Jovan Zelenbaba (season-high nine points) took steps forward.

Coleman leads the team in scoring (15.9 points per game), rebounding (8.1 per game), steals (12) and blocked shots (seven) along with shooting 61.1 percent from the field, which ranks 28^th nationally.

"They looked like they belonged (against LSU)," McConathy said. "The way Kendal can control the boards by snatching it and bringing it down. He's catching and shooting, and finishing around the bucket.

"It's good to see our longer, athletic players like Jovan and Cedric play well. They can use their speed and quickness to get into people and make things happen."

Southwestern Adventist has played one Division I opponent so far, a 100-62 loss against Houston Baptist.

The Knights are being outrebounded by 11 per game.

SWAU is in the same conference as Champion Christian and Dallas Christian, and all four wins have come against NCCAA squads.