CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Northwestern State began the season with nearly a completely new team, filled with players that needed time to learn each other. Over the past few games, NSU has been going through some of those same learning curves again after the return of a handful of players from injury.

The Lady Demons (10-11, 3-7) used their seventh different starting lineup in the past two games after inserting Alecia Whyte into the first five in the game against McNeese and added Sharna Ayres back into the rotation after a foot injury early in the season.

With Jasmin Dixon making starts in three of the last four game alongside Jordan Todd, the Lady Demons have had nearly an entirely different look on the floor that they did earlier in the season. Monette Bolden, Candice Parramore and Todd are the only player to start every game this season.

"I believe we are still building that team chemistry on the court," head coach Anna Nimz said. "To date, we have not played with the entire team we signed. We have always been missing a minimum of two players.

"Off the court the girls have incredible chemistry, but it's about continuing to build that into game minutes. I believe they will get there. It simply takes time."

NSU continues is second get-to-know-you project on Saturday when it faces new conference leader Texas A&M-Corpus Christ (16-7, 8-1) who took over the top spot following a 57-50 win against Southeastern on Thursday.

The game is set to air on ESPN+ beginning at 1 p.m. with free streaming audio available at www.nsudemons.com/watch, the NSU Athletics mobile app or locally in Natchitoches on 95.9 FM Kix Country.

 After a gradual increase in minutes since her return to action near the beginning of conference play, Whyte has seen a burst of production in the past two games. She grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds in the win against McNeese and followed that with 11 more at UIW, adding 10 points for her first double-double.

She extended NSU's stretch of four double-doubles in four games, from three different players, adding to Bolden's pair and Todd's from this past Saturday.

Ayres, who suffered a foot strain against Mississippi Valley State, returned to play against McNeese, seeing the court for just a handful of minutes, but play more than 25 against UIW. Her size and shooting ability, making a pair of 3-pointers and grabbing four rebounds in the game, gives NSU another option that can extend the defense.

Even with a slightly different look on the floor, the Lady Demons have seen their fair share of success during the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, the times that have proven more costly than others have bitten NSU where, according to Nimz, more poise was needed to settle the nerves.

"We don't have the seniority or that person that says give me the ball, let's slow it down," she said. "We're playing very much a brand-new team and no matter how many games in we are it doesn't subtract from the fact that, being a transfer or JUCO kid however you see it, none of them had that role at their last school.

"I think girls do a good job of leading at times, but we don't have that one that says give me the ball and I'm going to make some smart decisions."

Each game presents another opportunity for that familiarity to grow and is the case once again in Saturday's contest with the Islanders.

Corpus has won the past six games in a row to seize control of the league standings and are a perfect 12-0 at home, the only team in the Southland yet to lose a home game this season. Alecia Westbrook carried the Islanders for the bulk of the season, and is still averaging double-figure rebounds, but Makinna Serrata now leads the team in scoring and is putting in 17.0 per game in conference games.