FLORENCE, Alabama – Northwestern State men's basketball wraps up its early three-game road swing Tuesday night, visiting defending ASUN co-champion North Alabama inside Flowers Hall.

Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. and will stream live on ESPN+.

The Demons (0-2) look to regroup after Thursday's 80–53 setback at North Texas, a game that saw NSU battle within five midway through the second half before the Mean Green's hot shooting took over.

Sophomore guard Justin Redmond led the Demons with nine points, while Chris Mubiru and Izzy Miles each added eight.

Freshman guard Omar Adegbola was a bright spot off the bench, going a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.

For third-year head coach Rick Cabrera, the trip to Florence is both a test and a familiar challenge.

The Lions (1-1) captured their first win of the season Friday with a 90–84 home win over Lane College behind a balanced offensive attack that featured multiple double-figure scorers.

The matchup also reunites Cabrera with North Alabama head coach Tony Pujol, a longtime friend and fellow product of a blue-collar basketball background.

"Tony Pujol is a heck of a coach," Cabrera said. "I'm so excited for the success he's had. His job is very similar to ours -- small school, blue-collar guys who get after it. He's of Cuban descent, I'm Dominican, so when we have the chance to compete against each other, we really cherish that."

Cabrera said Pujol was one of the first coaches he reached out to when taking over the Northwestern State program in 2022.

"He's got the blueprint," Cabrera said. "When I got the job, I talked to him, and he told me, 'Do it your way. Be patient. There'll be rough roads, but good coaches handle that.' He did that at his place, and I plan to do that here."

Northwestern grabbed a 71-58 victory when the teams met a season ago in Natchitoches.

The rematch will pit two teams who are still strikingly similar.

"They're kind of mixed like us," Cabrera said. "They're returning five or six guys from a championship team that shared the title with Lipscomb last year. We came out victorious against them here last season, but going on the road is different. You've got to be mentally and physically tough to win away from home, and that's what we're preparing to do."

Tuesday's contest also marks the end of a season-opening road gauntlet for the Demons, who play their first three games away from Prather Coliseum — a deliberate scheduling move by Cabrera to forge early toughness and chemistry.

"We prepared our preseason scrimmages that way," Cabrera said. "We knew our first three would be on the road. Everybody likes playing at home, and we'll have our time, but to be really good, you've got to win road games. These trips give us a chance to learn and to bond as a team."