NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State men's basketball team had several goals for Southland Conference play.
 
As the Demons enter Monday's 1 p.m. matinee with New Orleans inside Prather Coliseum on ESPN+, there are still goals for them to attain.
 
"The goal is not to lose two in a row in conference, and we did," second-year head coach Rick Cabrera said. "The goal is not to lose home games, and we lost another one (Saturday). We've got to win Monday and steal another one on the road. This conference is tough. Every game's going to be a battle. We've got to bounce back. We have a good team with good guys, but we have to put 40 minutes together."
 
While the Demons (7-10, 4-3) have dropped two straight, the Privateers (4-14, 2-5) are beginning to hit their stride.
 
New Orleans has won back-to-back games for the first time this season, defeating Lamar on Monday and East Texas A&M on Saturday, picking up both wins on the road.
 
"New Orleans is a scrappy team, and they've been in a lot of the games they've played," Cabrera said. "We will not let their record define who they are. They went into Tulane and beat Tulane. That was not a fluke. They went into Lamar and beat Lamar. They're playing with a lot of confidence. Stacy Hollowell's doing a good job of keeping his guys ready and not letting the losses affect them. It will be a great test for us. If we don't come out ready to go, we can get popped as well."
 
The time change for Monday's game was made because of expected inclement weather throughout the state. It marks the second straight season for the Demons to host a Monday matinee matchup in league play.
 
A season ago, Northwestern defeated Houston Christian inside Prather Coliseum in a similar scenario.
 
"The time change helps us a little more because we're playing at home," Cabrera said. "We'll take advantage of that. At the end of the day, for 40 minutes of basketball, it doesn't matter what time. We just have to get out there and play hard. I tell our guys all the time, if you say you love this game – and you do – then you'll play it the way it's supposed to be played."