WICHITA, Kan.—During this early season road trip to the Midwest, Northwestern State is focusing on growth.

The Demons (0-1) have a chance to show how much they have learned from the loss at Nebraska in game one when they travel to play Wichita State (1-0) on Thursday.

Tip-off is at 6 p.m. at Charles Koch Arena and can be viewed on ESPN+.

"Our main focus this entire trip will be growing on and off the court as a team," head coach Anna Nimz said. "We have a lot of new faces, and we are working daily to find our rhythm. I believe this is the most important goal throughout our gauntlet of a non-conference schedule. It's all about preparing ourselves for the SLC."

Despite the defeat in game one, there were positives to take away, starting with the reigning Southland Conference Freshman of the Year.

In game one, Vernell Atamah scored 20 points to kick off her sophomore season after a fantastic freshman campaign.

She was slowed down in the first half but came alive in the third quarter, scoring 15 of her 20 points, going basket-for-basket with the Cornhuskers in the quarter.

After starting 1-for-9 from the field in the first 24 minutes of the game, she rebounded by making her final five shots of the contest, including two of her three triples.

Atamah's 20 points are the most points scored by a Demon in the first game of the season against a DI opponent since Keisha Lee had 28 against Houston in the 2013-14 season.

It was a tale of two halves in the opener, as NSU turned it over 17 times in the first half, leading to 30 points for the Cornhuskers off turnovers, which led to a sizeable Nebraska lead going into the locker room.

In the second half, the Demons took better care of the ball, only turning it over seven times in the final 20 minutes, leading to just five points off turnovers for Nebraska.

Playing in her first game with the Demons, Mississippi College transfer Tiara Abron poured in eight points on 4-of-8 shooting, grabbing two boards, recording a steal and turning the ball over just once in 20 minutes.

WSU (1-0) is coming off a 96-42 victory in the season opener against Division II Lincoln (Mo.).

In game one, the Shockers were led by New Mexico State transfer Jaila Harding, who scored a game-high 17 points, including burying five from 3-point range.

WSU shot 57.1 percent from the field, including 8-of-20 from deep, while holding the Blue Tigers to just 22.4 percent from the field and 17.2 percent from 3-point range.

The Shockers went 10-22 last season but brought in nearly a brand-new team. While NSU returned six players, WSU only returned four, including an entirely new starting lineup.

One of those is a familiar face, as McNeese transfer Azjah Reeves made her way to Wichita State. In four games, she averaged 8.5 points and four rebounds against NSU.

"We are focused on playing with poise and pace offensively against Wichita State," Nimz said. "Defensively, we will have to be disciplined in our communication and transition defense."

Following the game, NSU wraps up the road trip in the Midwest with a visit to Kansas on Sunday afternoon before coming home for two straight at Prather Coliseum.