AUSTIN, Texas – The Northwestern State men's basketball team will get an early start in ending the non-conference portion of its 2024-25 schedule.
 
The Demons cap their 12-game non-Southland Conference slate Sunday morning at 11 when they face Texas, their third Southeastern Conference foe and fifth power-conference opponent of the season.
 
The game will stream live on SEC Network+.
 
Northwestern (5-6) enters the game off its longest in-season break of the season. The Demons have not played a game since an 89-79 win against Southern-New Orleans on Dec. 20 in Natchitoches.
 
"We're really excited to have the opportunity to play against another team," second-year head coach Rick Cabrera said. "The fun part of the season is playing games and our guys are always ready to play. We had a really good Christmas break to decompress and recuperate. Now it's time to head into our final non-conference game."
 
In the Longhorns (10-2), the Demons find themselves facing perhaps the most efficient offense they have seen this season.
 
Texas ranks second nationally in field goal percentage, shooting 51.8 percent from the field. The Longhorns are seventh nationally in both 3-point shooting at 41.5 percent and in effective field goal percentage (59.1).
 
Northwestern held both Oklahoma and LSU to under 45 percent shooting thanks in part to strong first-half defensive efforts in both games. The same effort held true in Northwestern's most recent contest. In the first half against SUNO, the Demons limited the Knights to 32.3 percent shooting before SUNO shot 57.6 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes.
 
The Longhorns will be the third different SEC team the Demons will face, marking the second time in three seasons for Northwestern to face three teams from the same power conference in the same season.
 
In 2022-23, the Demons squared off with three Big 12 members – Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech.
 
"For our guys, we treat all of our opponents with great respect," Cabrera said. "They are just ready and willing to play anyone regardless of conference. Texas is extremely talented, and we are looking forward to competing with one of the top programs in the country."
 
Prior to the nine-day stretch between the win against SUNO and Sunday's game, the Demons' previous longest break of the season was a week-long stretch between a win at HCU and a loss at California.
 
The Demons returned to Natchitoches on Thursday in a way that has Cabrera at ease.
 
"Our return to practice has been great," he said. "We have guys who love to play basketball, and when you have that love and passion, you are always ready to play."