NATCHITOCHES—Following a stretch of difficult games in the three-game road trip to the state of Texas, the Northwestern State women's basketball team returns home for one final game pre-Thanksgiving.

The Demons (2-4) go for three in a row at home to begin the season as they turn their sights toward Southern-New Orleans.

Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m. at Prather Coliseum and can be watched on ESPN+.

"We have to focus on getting better," head coach Anna Nimz said. "No matter what, we need to focus on getting better. We need to focus on press break, we need to focus on those bunny shots, we need to focus on our execution.

"We need to be intently locked in and understand our role. Maybe your role isn't to score buckets, it's to be a 50-50 girl or a hype girl or a rebounding girl. Everybody is trying to settle into roles and be the best in that role."

Despite the loss last time out, Northwestern State took the reigning American Athletic Conference champions to the brink.

As a transfer, Mya Blake has done everything the Demons could've wanted as the point guard. After scoring four points in the first three quarters, she exploded for 14 points in the final period, nearly leading Northwestern State back for the huge win.

Blake buried three more 3-pointers, her third game of at least three triples made. Her 15 total made 3-pointers is tied for second in the Southland Conference.

As a team, the Demons have made 56 3-point shots, the most in the conference. They are the only team in the SLC to have three players who have made double digit 3-pointers.

Both Thompson and Blake have made 15, which are tied for the second most in the league. tied with two. Sharna Ayres' 12 are seventh.

While Vernell Atamah is not quite into double digits, she is not far off, making nine.

Atamah, a freshman from Mesquite, Texas, has come on strong in the past three games.

Making her trip back to the state of Texas, she averaged 16.3 points per game in those three, all double digit efforts, including pouring in 19 at Tarleton State.

"We can actually go back to the LSU game for her," Nimz said. "I think she needed the LSU game to have her 'aha' moment, which was thankfully only two games in. She plays with the confidence of a senior. It is quiet confidence. She is making right plays, smart plays, just playing simple basketball.

"It is no surprise that during the UNT game, we had the ball with 11 seconds left and wanted the ball in her hands. That speaks volumes of a freshman."

SUNO (3-7) is coming off an 83-52 loss at the hands of Mobile, but prior to the defeat had won three of its previous four contests.

The last meeting in the series was a Demons rolling 105-38 victory last season. That margin of victory over SUNO last season (67) was the largest margin of victory in school history until Northwestern State defeated Arkansas Baptist by 71 (98-27) on Nov. 12.

Following the match, the Demons take a week and a half break before they begin the start of SLC play on the road against UIW. The next time Northwestern State plays in front of the home is Dec. 14 against Central Arkansas, the final home game of 2024.