HAMMOND – Prior to Northwestern State's Jan. 6 Southland Conference opener at Lamar, only one Demon basketball player – point guard Braelon Bush – had experience playing in the Southland.
 
That doesn't mean, however, the NSU roster was bereft of those familiar with the league as two members of first-year head coach Rick Cabrera's staff spent time in the league.
 
More specifically, assistant coach Chad Bailey and graduate manager Kobe Cutrer were part of Southeastern coach David Kiefer's staff, making Monday's 6 p.m. ESPN+ matchup with the Lions a homecoming for Bailey and Cutrer, a pair of south Louisiana natives.
 
"You don't ever not want to pick somebody's brain who's worked with someone you're going to face," Cabrera said. "The time they worked with them, I would think coach Kiefer has changed some things up in terms of schemes and plays and personnel. Being a head coach of that program and having former employees work for him, they probably know his favorite (plays). I'll definitely pick their brain about it, but at the end of the day, we'll go off and watch a lot of film on them."
 
Film on the Demons (5-13, 3-2) in the past week and a half reveals a team that has locked in as conference play has kicked into full gear.
 
During their current three-game win streak, the Demons have limited their opposition to 39.8 percent shooting from the field. Highlighted in that run was holding New Orleans to 25.8 aim from the field in the first half, allowing the Demons to build a 26-point halftime advantage Saturday.
 
Conversely, the Demons have found their footing on the offensive end as well. Northwestern State cracked the 50 percent shooting mark once, hitting 56.9 percent of its shots in a season-opening win against Dallas Christian on Nov. 6.
 
In their past three games, the Demons have shot an aggregate 52.6 percent from the floor, highlighted by a 60-percent effort against UIW on Jan. 13. Against New Orleans, the Demons survived and thrived despite hitting just 2 of 12 shots from 3-point range. Instead, Northwestern State was an efficient 32 for 49 from inside the arc, outscoring UNO 62-44 on points in the paint.
 
"These guys are understanding the importance of being locked into the scouting report," Cabrera said. "They're dialed in. They understand personnel and how difficult it is to win on the road, but it is very possible to do so."
 
The Demons face a Southeastern (6-12, 1-4) team that entered the season as one of the most experienced teams in the Southland Conference, returning a trio of preseason All-Southland selections, including first-team pick Roger McFarlane.
 
The Lions have dropped four straight games after a conference-opening win against New Orleans. McFarlane has lived up to his billing, leading the Lions in scoring (13.8) and rebounding (7.7 per game) while point guard Roscoe Eastmond is in the top 33 nationally in total assists and assists per game, leading the Southland in both categories.
 
"They are a very well-coached team, very disciplined," Cabrera said. "They play with poise, and don't seem to get rattled. That's what veteran teams do. They grind it out. They win by any means necessary whether it's 51-50 or 65-64. It's still a win the books. Playing in that atmosphere is going to be tough."