NATCHITOCHES — The Northwestern State men's basketball team returns to Prather Coliseum on Saturday afternoon, hosting Southern-New Orleans in its final nonconference matchup of the year. 

Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. Central and the game will air live on ESPN+. The game can also be heard on the Demon Sports Network, flagshipped by 100.7 FM KZBL in Natchitoches. 

Northwestern State (2-8) enters the matchup looking to carry over strong individual performances from its most recent outing. 

Despite a 79-70 loss at California this past Saturday, the Demons put together an offensive showcase that kept pace with the Golden Bears' fast-paced attack, leading the game with seven minutes remaining. The contest unfolded as a back-and-forth battle, featuring nine ties and 14 lead changes — the most Northwestern State has seen this season. 

"I think we should have won the game," head coach Rick Cabrera said. "We made some defensive mistakes late that hurt us, but I'm proud of our guys. They put themselves in a position to win on the road, in a different time zone, with a lot of things factoring in." 

Junior guard Izzy Miles put on a show in Berkeley, scoring a career-high 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field, including a 3-of-4 performance from 3-point range. Miles has now made more 3s during his time with the Demons (12) than he did in his two-year tenure at Tarleton (11). 

Cabrera credited recent practice time for Northwestern State's continued growth, particularly on the defensive end. 

"Practice is so important because of the teaching part of it," Cabrera said. "Mistakes are going to happen because the game is so fast, but when they do, your effort has to be elite. We've shown that the last couple of games. We're making progress, and it's never too late to get better. Our record doesn't define how good we are." 

Saturday's contest renews a familiar in-state matchup and marks the Demons' first home game in three weeks. 

SUNO (6–9) is paced by junior center Dorian Booker, who averages 14.5 points per game on 61.3 percent shooting while pulling down a team-high 7.9 rebounds per contest. 

Despite the Knights' non-Division I status, Cabrera emphasized that the Demons' approach will remain unchanged. 

"SUNO is a scary team," Cabrera said. "We're going to treat them just like a Division I team. The focus is on us getting better, playing hard, and continuing to improve so we can head into the break the right way." 

Cabrera owns a 2–0 record against Southern-New Orleans during his tenure, including a victory in last season's meeting. Overall, Northwestern State has won four of the five all-time matchups between the programs. 

The most recent meeting came on Dec. 20, 2024, when the Demons earned an 89–79 victory in Natchitoches. SUNO's lone win in the series came Jan. 4, 2010, when the Knights edged Northwestern State 95–89 in overtime inside Prather Coliseum. 

Following Saturday's game, the Demons will take a brief break over the Christmas holiday before turning their attention fully to Southland Conference play.  

Northwestern State opens its conference home schedule on Dec. 29 against Lamar, beginning a stretch that Cabrera knows will demand consistency and focus. 

"It's a little different this year with the breaks and the timing," Cabrera said. "But once conference play hits, it gets real serious. Our league is one of the best mid-major conferences in the country top to bottom, and we're excited about getting into that routine and competing night in and night out."