TULSA, Okla. – Northwestern State's week-long, season-opening trip through the Midwest concludes on Sunday as the Demons face their third tough test of the early season.
 
NSU (0-2) closes its journey with a 2 p.m. game against Tulsa that will air on ESPN+ as it looks to continue to add more minutes into the quality play category this season.
 
"Over the course of the last couple games the ladies have grown on and off the court," head coach Anna Nimz said. "We have spent a significant amount of time on our academics, studying film and scout, enjoying family dinners and team activities and are nearing the end of the swing. 
 
"We want to capitalize on our overall growth heading this game. Tulsa is a position-less offense where every player can attack, shoot and get up and down. Their depth chart is extensive and there is no drop off coming off the bench. Our girls are ready to play and compete at a high level. They have practiced with great intensity and focus. I am proud of how the team has rallied through a handful of very tough games."
 
From game one at Nebraska to game two at Kansas, two noticeably tough challenges to start the season, the Demons saw improvements nearly across the board statistically.
 
NSU had better a field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, free throw percentage, fewer fouls and fewer turnovers than it did in the first game against an arguably better team in the Jayhawks who are ranked just outside the Top 25 in the country.
 
Individually the Demons got more and increased production from more spots as well.
 
Niaisya Ervin scored 10 points against the Jayhawks for her first points as a Demon and Jiselle Woodson and Karmelah Dean each added nine with Dean working her way to the free throw line for 12 makes in two games.
 
It's that kind of consistent growth that Nimz will look for again on Sunday as the Demons take on a talented Hurricane team led by the two-headed monster of Temira Poindexter and Delaine Crawford.
 
The duo are both averaging more than 28 points per game in Tulsa's two wins so far this season. They account for 65 percent of the total points scored by the Hurricane in their wins over Lindenwood and New Orleans.
 
The 6-foot-1 forward Poindexter scored a career-high 30 points in the win over the Privateers, showing her versatility going 3-for-7 from beyond the arc as part of her 12-for-17 shooting day from the field.
 
Tulsa have "out offensed" their opponents in their wins, scoring 86 points in each of their games, but left the door open for their opponents so far with nearly 20 turnovers per game. They had 22 giveaways against the Privateers.
 
Through the first two games of the season both Tulsa and NSU have the same -6.5 turnover margin.