NATCHITOCHES – Whether it was spending time in the community or helping around campus, the Northwestern State men's basketball team lived by the word service during the offseason.
 
First-year head coach Corey Gipson emphasized the importance of doing work off the court in order to help bond together a team that featured 11 new players, repeating the mantra of how serving others would pay off for the Demons when the season arrived.
 
As the Demons (13-8, 5-3) approach the midpoint of Southland Conference play when they host Lamar (6-15, 2-6) at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+ Saturday inside Prather Coliseum, their collective servant mind-set is paying statistical dividends as well.
 
In its first eight conference games, Northwestern State ranks fourth in the Southland in assists per game, handing out 15.4 per game. That number represents a 45-percent increase in assists per game from the 10.6 NSU averaged in its 13 non-conference games.
 
NSU's improved assist rate got a boost from its new single-season 3-point record holder, Ja'Monta Black, who buried nine 3s in Thursday night's win against Houston Christian. Five of Black's 3-pointers came off assists from three different Demons – Greedy Williams (3), DeMarcus Sharp and Dayne Prim.
 
"Ja'Monta is the ultimate teammate as are some of the other guys on the roster," Gipson said. "Give credit to his teammates, his brothers. They were willing to serve him all game long. When you have a team that's willing to share and feed the hot hand, you've got something special. As a staff, we realize we have something special here, and we look forward to growing with them as a staff."
 
While Sharp was the Demons' primary scorer in the non-conference season, he has balanced his scoring output with an assist total (5.5 per game) that ranks second in the league in conference games. Sharp's 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio in league games tops the conference.

Sharp is not the only Demon to improve his assists per game average in conference play.
 
Isaac Haney is tied for 11^th in the conference at 3.3 assists per game, having dealt 26 assists in eight games after handing out 24 in 13 non-conference contests. Ditto for Black, who has handed out 10 of his 18 assists since conference play began.
 
NSU's share-the-ball mentality has worked its way throughout the roster.
 
Once the Demons' lead crested at 25 points in the second half Thursday, Gipson went deep into his bench and gave three players either the most or as many minutes as he has all season.
 
The second unit proved equally adept at dishing out nice passes as Harrison Black hit Hansel Enmanuel with a perfect bounce pass that led the high-flying freshman to the second of his two dunks.
 
"These guys take care of each other," Gipson said. "Think of the pass Hansel made to Jordan Wilmore at New Orleans when Hansel could have taken the shot. These guys serve each other. It is remarkable. Not often are you around a group of guys who are willing to take on that mentality and be that mature and serve each other.
 
"I'm thankful as a coach for it, and I know the staff is thankful for it. It's a blessing, and I'll never take these moments for granted."