NATCHITOCHES – For much of the non-conference season, the Northwestern State men's basketball team has been the smaller team in many ways whether physically or based upon conference affiliation.
 
That changes in the Demons' final pre-Southland Conference home game of the season, which comes Tuesday night at 6:30 when Northwestern State hosts Southern-New Orleans.
 
The game, which is the second of a two-game homestand, will air on ESPN+.
 
"I hope our fans show out," first-year head coach Rick Cabrera said. "I hope they don't allow our record to determine whether they show out or not. I hope they understand the circumstances we're under with a new team and having been on the road so long. We have a good product, and our guys are good enough to win. We just have to learn how to win. When you're at home, you have to protect the home court."
 
The Demons (1-10) returned home this past Saturday after a stretch of seven games away from home that took them to the Eastern Time Zone for three games in Florida before completing the swing with a trip to Boise, Idaho, to face Boise State.
 
As NSU enters the second game of its first multi-game homestand of the season, the Demons remain a work in progress.
 
In their 11^th game of the season, the Demons saw a debut as Anthony Thomas played his first game in a Northwestern State uniform after having his eligibility reinstated. Thomas finished with four points and two steals in 18-plus minutes in a loss to Rice.
 
While Thomas' season is just starting, the Demons have seen plenty of progress – individually and as a team -- throughout the first 11 games.
 
As Cabrera and his staff have worked through different lineup permutations, players have emerged and taken positive steps forward.
 
"I've made strides on the defensive side," freshman guard Chris Mubiru said. "I've become better at communicating on defense, better at making quick moves on defense."
 
As Mubiru's defense has improved so has his shooting stroke and, as a byproduct, his confidence. A freshman from Philadelphia, Mubiru scored just three points in his first eight games before sinking his first career 3-pointer at Southern Miss.
 
Mubiru added two more 3s at Boise State, helping the Demons shoot 40 percent from deep against the Broncos.
 
"He does a lot of things well," Cabrera said. "He plays hard. He plays tough. He's low maintenance. I've allowed his leash to get longer, which is something I should have done a long time ago. He's about the right things. I want him to be more confident like he was against Boise and Southern Miss. He's someone I really enjoy coaching."
 
Mubiru and the Demons will face a SUNO (1-14) team that already has played a pair of Southland Conference teams, falling to New Orleans, 106-69, on Nov. 11 and to Southeastern, 101-55, on Nov. 28.
 
Freshman forward Jamal Gibson leads the Knights in scoring (18.6 points per game), rebounding (15.1), blocks (2.3) and steals per game (1.7).  

The game also will conclude NSU's holiday toy drive. Fans are asked to bring a new, unwrapped gift for a child that will be distributed through the Coach De Foundation and the Boys and Girls Club.