THIBODAUX – The Northwestern State men's basketball team tipped of January as a nearly full group of Southland Conference newbies – coaches included.
 
Halfway through their 2024 Southland Conference schedule, the Demons have learned plenty about themselves as individuals and as a unit. Armed with that knowledge, the Demons tip off the second half of league play Monday against the lone remaining unique opponent on their schedule – Nicholls.
 
The Demons and Colonels will tangle in a 6:30 p.m. Southland matchup inside Stopher Gym that will air on ESPN+.
 
"One thing I've learned is this conference is really good this year," first-year head coach Rick Cabrera said. "The teams are pretty balanced. Top to bottom, it's been very good. You have to be dialed in and prepared. We have moments of winning games and being in games, but we have to be complete in conference play. You have to be complete for 40 minutes."
 
Northwestern State (6-16, 4-5) was complete enough Saturday to snap a three-game losing streak with a 70-57 win against Texas A&M-Commerce in Natchitoches.
 
The Demons built a 20-point, first-half lead against the Lions only to see Texas A&M-Commerce rally to take a two-point lead midway through the second half. Undaunted, the Demons finished the game on a 20-7 run in the final 10-plus minutes to move back within a game of .500 in league play.
 
The three 20-point margins in the first half of Saturday's game marked the third time in five home Southland games the Demons have held at least a 20-point lead. Northwestern State has led by 20 in one of its first four Southland road games – a 92-67 win at New Orleans on Jan. 20.
 
That was the lone time the Demons completed a road game this season. Doing so against Nicholls (11-10, 6-2) will take the complete effort Cabrera mentioned.
 
Under first-year head coach Tevon Saddler, Nicholls sits in third place in conference play, a half game back of second-place Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
 
Much like Texas A&M-Commerce, Nicholls is among the Southland Conference leaders in blocks (4.5 per game). The Colonels also lead the Southland in 3-point percentage defense in league play, allowing just 29.9 percent of opponent's long-distance shots to fall. Overall, opponents are shooting just 30.7 percent form 3-point range against the Colonels this season.
 
Offensively, Nicholls features a balanced offense led by Jamal West Jr. (16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds per game).
 
"Coach Saddler's done a great job," Cabrera said. "They are a very balanced team. They can shoot 3s and give it to their best player, West, in the pinch post. They're really dangerous when they shoot it well. They defend well. They mix it up with some zone and some man to man."
 
While Cabrera said he wants his team to be complete for 40 minutes, that may not be long enough to survive against the Colonels, who own three overtime road wins in Southland Conference play and have gone 4-1 in overtime games this season.
 
"Their team is learning how to win no matter what it takes," Cabrera said. "Regardless, it's a W on the left column. We have to go down there and do what we do. Everybody's beatable in this league. We have to go out and beat them. We can't beat ourselves, which has happened several times."