NATCHITOCHES – Saturday afternoon will be a momentous one for the Northwestern State men's basketball program.
 
At halftime of the Demons' 3:30 p.m. Southland Conference matchup with Stephen F. Austin, the court inside Prather Coliseum officially will be christened Mike McConathy Court in honor of the longtime Demon coach who notched 330 of his Louisiana-record 682 college basketball victories while in charge of the Northwestern program.
 
"Coach McConathy and I have become close in the year and a half I've been here," second-year head coach Rick Cabrera said. "He deserves this. He built this program for almost a quarter century, and he did a heck of a job. He deserves any accolade he gets, and I'm happy we get to play on a court that's named after him. It's going to be his day, but we have to focus on getting a win as well."
 
McConathy's court dedication comes as the Demons (11-13, 8-6) host the Lumberjacks (12-13, 5-9) for the first time since SFA rejoined the Southland Conference this past summer.
 
Northwestern took the first meeting between the teams, nipping SFA 57-54 in overtime in Nacogdoches, Texas.
 
That was the first game the Lumberjacks played under interim head coach Tony Jasick. Since then, Stephen F. Austin has won four of its past five games to climb back into Southland Conference Tournament contention.
 
Not to be outdone, the Demons have won two of their past three games, including a 12-point win at Nicholls this past Monday that completed a season sweep of the Colonels.
 
"They've played well of late," Cabrera said. "That's what conference basketball is all about. They're a tough, physical team, and they're scoring the ball a lot better. We're playing well since our East Texas (A&M) game. I like where our guys are. It's crunch time, late February.
 
"Our guys know we can win. When your guys know they can win, they play harder, play different. That's the mind-set of my coaching staff and the mind-set of our players."
 
The Demons picked up the win in Nacogdoches on the strength of their defense, which limited the Lumberjacks to 8-for-35 shooting inside the 3-point arc. Northwestern also won the battle of the boards in the first meeting by 10.
 
That win was part of a four-game road stretch in which the Demons did not top 59 points. Northwestern seemed to find its offensive rhythm away from home in the second half of Monday's win at Nicholls.
 
Buoyed by a 7-for-7 start to the second half, the Demons tallied 45 points after the break to erase a six-point halftime deficit and give Northwestern its first season sweep of Nicholls since 2017.
 
Northwestern has averaged 75.5 points per game in its past two victories, beginning with a 79-63 win against UTRGV in which the Demons set a season high in points against a Division I opponent.
 
While the Demons have ridden an offensive roller coaster, their defense has stood stout throughout conference play. Northwestern enters Saturday's rematch with the Lumberjacks with the No. 3 scoring defense in league play, allowing 66.7 points per game.
 
"We continue to maintain our defense, which is our staple," Cabrera said. "In today's game, you need to score the ball. Defense will always be our staple, but you do need to score the ball."