NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State continue its three-game home stand on Saturday afternoon looking for a complete game performance to notch its first win of the young season.
 
The Demons (0-4) took more steps towards a complete game performance earlier in the week against Grambling, leading the game for more than 26 minutes, including into the fourth quarter. A pair of costly turnovers trailing by one late in the game prevented them from picking up that first win leading to a frustrating 64-59 loss.
 
"Every game is an opportunity to get better," head coach Anna Nimz said. "Even in ones that end in frustration like it did on Wednesday. We watched the film and talked about playing with poise down the stretch of games like that and just learning how to play with the lead."
 
NSU will host Arkansas Baptist beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon at Prather Coliseum and on ESPN+ looking to get ahead early and play with the lead throughout the day. 
 
Saturday's game is also the first opportunity for fans to bring non-perishable food items to donate as part of NSU women's basketball's food drive. All items collected between Saturday and the December 6^th contest with Tarleton will be donated to the NSU food bank.
 
Before the auspicious end to the game, the Demons saw myriad moments of exactly what they were hoping to see from both ends of the floor.
 
A 9-0 run in the first quarter, thanks to a perfect effort from the free throw line, helped the Demons to a 12-4 first quarter lead. Karmelah Dean went 6-for-6 from the stripe in the quarter, finished the game 8-for-8 and has already converted 26 free throws, on 30 attempts this season, more than she had in her previous 29 games at NSU.
 
Sharna Ayres scored eight points in the first five minutes of the second quarter, putting in a pair of 3-pointers and a long jumper in the span of two minutes. She finished the half 4-for-5 from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
 
Jiselle Woodson found a cutting Jordan Todd for an easy layup to finish a stellar second quarter where the Demons went 8-for-15 from the field, ended with a 7-0 run, had just three turnovers to take a 37-30 lead into the half.
 
"We had a lot of great possessions and big time plays where we made the extra pass and get an assist off of it," Nimz said. "We knocked down some outside shot but at the end of the day you don't play a 30-minute basketball game. It's a 40-minute game."
 
The defense also held Grambling to just two made field goals for a span of more than eight minutes at the end of the second quarter and the start of the third.
 
On Saturday that defense will be tasked with matching up with a pair of Arkansas Baptist players that are off to a tremendous start averaging double-digit scoring while shooting better than 50 percent from the field.
 
Junior Jessica Nerestant and Koko Banks are both putting in 10.4 points per game with Banks converting a remarkable 58.1 percent from the field. Nerestant led all scorers in the game between NSU and Arkansas Baptist a year ago with 14 points.