NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State coach Mike McConathy's teams have a knack for making runs in Southland Conference play. 

After producing play after decisive play Thursday in a 79-70 win against UIW to scratch the SLC win column, the Demons (5-16, 1-3 SLC) will attempt to carry that momentum to piece together one of those patented runs. 

NSU welcomes a hot Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (16-5, 3-1 SLC) squad that is chasing New Orleans (11-8, 4-0 SLC) for the top spot in the league. 

The backend of a doubleheader with the NSU women is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. and can be watched on nsudemons.com or listened to on 94.9 FM and on the NSU app. 

NSU's last two squads have authored season-changing runs, including a six-game winning streak in 2020-21 and separate streaks of four wins and four out of five in 2019-20. Those successful spurts have led to NSU being one of just two current SLC members to grab a No. 4 seed or higher in the SLC Tournament in each of the past two seasons.

"This team has been battle-tested to say the least," said NSU coach Mike McConathy. "We lost three games in conference that we had a chance to be in position to win if we would have made better decisions emotionally and kept control of ourselves better.

"We did a better job of that tonight. It's a lot better when you're at home, and you go back to those three games, if we're at home, we very likely could have won those. We had a good crowd, and there's good enthusiasm with our good core fans and then having students out tonight."

The Demons will face an Islanders bunch that drubbed a talented Southeastern squad on the road 86-71, and NSU is aiming to correct mistakes made in the first meeting with TAMUCC in an 89-67 loss. 

The Demons didn't have stud freshman Kendal Coleman for that SLC Tip-Off event matchup on Jan. 6, and Coleman will make a difference in areas such as NSU's -14 rebounding margin and 38 percent shooting from the first contest this season. 

Coleman scored a career-high 25 points on 11-15 shooting and added 13 rebounds in the win against UIW, NSU's first home game in 40 days after eight straight road trips. 

The matchup will be a meeting of arguably the two best posts in the SLC as TAMUCC's Isaac Mushila averages 15 points and nine rebounds per game. Without Coleman, Mushila collected 27 points and 13 rebounds against NSU. 

Coleman counters with 15 points and 9.5 rebounds, compiling double doubles in nine of his last 11 games and 10 overall. 

"We'll be better than we were in that first meeting," McConathy said. "TAMUCC shoots it well from the perimeter, and although they are a disciplined group, they aren't one to hold it and run the shot clock down.

"Mushila is really good, and he had a heckuva game against us. It'll be a great test for us."

The Islanders make 35 percent of their 3-pointers and average nearly seven per game.

The Demons are coming off their most efficient perimeter performance Thursday by making 10-18 from deep.

Carvell Teasett swished 4-7 attempts coupled with two each from Brian White, Cedric Garrett and Robert Chougkaz, who's two 3-pointers each supplied the Demons the lead in the second half.

"It felt good to see them go in (Thursday)," said Teasett, who's made at least four 3-pointers in five of his last eight games. "Once I hit one shot, the hole just gets better.

"So I keep shooting and not let anything get me down. My teammates tell me to keep shooting, so I keep shooting until it goes in."

The Demons are in the midst of the second of six two-game conference week on Thursdays and Saturdays, and Teasett said rest is the most important aspect to Saturday's preparation for the Islanders.

"You've got to get sleep, don't stay up all night," Teasett said. "Eat right and watch film, and we'll be good."

Thursday's performance was the best team effort of the season with four players in double figures – Coleman (25), Teasett (14), Garrett (14) and White (10).

Garrett's 14 points marks his third straight game with at least nine coming off the bench. The usual starter had averaged less than five points in the previous six contests.

"When we have as many effective scorers as we did Thursday, it takes so much pressure off of Teasett," McConathy said. "With Cedric and Brian specifically scoring really well, and then guys like Jovan Zelenbaba and LaTerrance Reed getting hustle plays and a lot of other little things, it spreads that burden around."

The Demons win against UIW with a 27-9 run late in the game snaps a four-game slide that includes three on the road to start league play.

Two of those losses were to league-leader New Orleans (the first in the nonconference tip-off event) and the other two were at Southeastern and Nicholls. The combined league record of the teams to beat NSU in conference play is 8-4, meaning the Demons started on the road against top competition.

Now NSU is aiming to replicate Thursday's home atmosphere as well as the result, which includes a season-best shooting effort 57 percent, the Demons best since shooting 60 percent against HBU on Jan. 5, 2020.