NATCHITOCHES — Northwestern State once again turned Mike McConathy Court at Prather Coliseum into a pressure cooker Monday night, grinding its way through adversity before delivering a dramatic 64–63 Southland Conference men's basketball victory over UTRGV.

The Demons (6-11, 4-4) and Vaqueros (6-11, 2-6) spent much of the first half trading punches in a physical, defense-heavy opening 20 minutes.

UTRGV controlled stretches behind 3-point shooting from Filip Brankovic, who scored six early points to set the tone.

Despite some early struggles, Northwestern refused to let the game get away, leaning on defensive stops and timely bench production to stay within reach.

J.C. Riley Jr. and Omar Adegbola injected energy when Northwestern State needed it most, sparking transition chances and second looks around the rim.

As the half wound down, the Demons became more aggressive attacking the basket, earning trips to the free-throw line and slowly chipping away at the deficit.

Riley Jr. capped the surge with his first career 3-pointer, tying the game at 28 at the break and swinging momentum back to the home side.

"Sports is all about momentum," head coach Rick Cabrera said. "We didn't play great offensively in the first half, but that shot gave us something to build on going into the locker room."

UTRGV came out of the break with renewed urgency, pushing the pace and capitalizing on turnovers to create separation.

Brankovic and Jaylen Washington carved up Northwestern's defense in the pick-and-roll, and a 3-pointer by Zae Blake pushed the Vaqueros' lead to 14 with 7:56 remaining, briefly quieting Prather Coliseum.

That silence didn't last long.

In a span of just three minutes, Northwestern stormed back with a 13–0 run, slicing the deficit to one with 4:20 remaining.

Willie Williams ignited the charge, going to work inside and finishing through contact while controlling the glass. At the same time, the Demons tightened their defensive rotations, cutting off driving lanes and forcing UTRGV into hurried possessions.

"We just decided we needed to pick it up," Williams said. "We've been playing from behind a lot, and when Chris (Mubiru) checked back in, his energy really got us going. We matched it."

A timely 3-pointer from Mubiru punctuated the surge, and stop after stop allowed Northwestern to chip away possession by possession.

Williams capped the run with another strong finish at the rim to make it a one-point game, igniting Prather Coliseum and setting the stage for a frantic closing stretch.

Though the Vaqueros briefly answered, the Demons never relented, as Micah Thomas continued to attack downhill, calmly converting at the free-throw line while Northwestern State won key battles on the glass.

Inside the final minute, the tension was palpable.

Mubiru drilled a clutch second-chance 3 to pull Northwestern within 63–61, and moments later, Izzy Miles jumped a passing lane to force a turnover, giving the Demons the ball with 13 seconds remaining and a chance to tie or take the lead.

Thomas drove the lane and was fouled, stepping to the line and knocking down both free throws to tie the game at 63.

UTRGV's final possession ended with a contested miss at the rim, and in the ensuing scramble, Miles was fouled with 1.4 seconds left. He stepped to the stripe and buried the first free throw to give Northwestern the lead.

"We needed a stop," Miles said. "Coach told me we had to get it back, and I trusted myself to make the free throw."

The second attempt missed, and the Vaqueros' desperation look fell short as time expired.

Thomas led the Demons with 17 points and five assists, scoring 13 in the second half, including 11 in the final 10 minutes. Williams added 14 points and eight rebounds in a relentless interior performance.

Brankovic paced UTRGV with 19 points, while Koree Cotton finished with 14, and Washington dished out seven assists.

"I'm proud of our guys," Cabrera said. "We didn't play our best for 40 minutes, but we played well at the right time. We got stops, made big shots, and found a way."

The Demons return to action Saturday when they travel to face UIW in San Antonio. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. in the McDermott Convocation Center.