NACOGDOCHES, Texas – A microcosm of the Northwestern State season played out over 40 minutes Wednesday night personified by the never-quit attitude facing the top team in the Southland Conference.

A torrid start from Stephen F. Austin combined with the pressure defense that created 13 first-quarter turnovers and saw 10 NSU fouls turned the game into a runaway early that ended with a 114-58 final score.

"All the things that we talked about before the game we didn't exude in that first half," first-year head coach Anna Nimz said. "All we talked about at halftime was controlling our own individual efforts and not worrying about the other team or even our teammates, giving our best, and I thought they came out much better in the second half."

The Ladyjacks made their first five shots from the field to start the game, including two straight 3s from Marissa Banfield to start the game, jumping out to a 13-2 lead less than two minutes into the game.

The margin only grew over the next eight minutes of the quarter as NSU fouls and turnovers began to pile up quickly. Ten fouls and 13 turnovers through the first quarter, along with a more than six-minute scoreless drought, turned a fast SFA start into a runaway game.

The Lady Demons were able to get a better handle on the ball and their foul situation in the second, but the efficiency of the Ladyjack offense proved too much through the second quarter leading to a 60-19 game entering the half.

Like they have done all season, and especially in the past few games, the Lady Demons came out with a different energy and effort level in the second half.

Although the game was well in hand for the home team, NSU had its two best shooting efforts of the game, going 13-for-23 from the field for a 56 percent half.

Julia Sion played with a renewed purpose in the final 20 minutes of the game, scoring 11 of her team-leading 13 points, including five straight points early in the third that included her first career 3-point make.

The Lady Demons were able to keep much better pace with the hot-shooting Ladyjacks, who finished the night with six players in double figures and shot 60 percent from the field, but the trouble of the first half was far too much to overcome.

"We were able to draw a couple of things up in the second half and work on some things," Nimz said. "We even added a couple of things to see if we could do something different out of a timeout. Still something to grow from, still something positive with that. I think they played hard, they didn't give up, we just didn't start on time."

All nine players that saw the floor for NSU scored in the game. The Lady Demons finish the season with three straight home games beginning with Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday afternoon.