NATCHITOCHES — Northwestern State made every play it had to in the final seconds Saturday afternoon, surviving Southeastern 69–66 in a Southland Conference men's basketball thriller on Mike McConathy Court at Prather Coliseum.

"It's been the story of our last 12 games," said third-year head coach Rick Cabrera. "I'm so proud of these dudes, they picked it up in the second half.

"In the first half I thought we were bad defensively – they shot 53 percent from the field. We picked it up in the second half. Chip (Brunt) was phenomenal defensively. This team has been through the gauntlet, but better days are ahead of us."

With 6 seconds remaining and the Demons (8-18, 6-11) trailing by one, Micah Thomas stepped to the line and calmly buried two free throws to give Northwestern a 67–66 lead.

On the ensuing possession, defensive pressure by Chris Mubiru forced a turnover by Jeremy Elyzee with one second left.

"I don't care what happens, I'm going to get this stop," Mubiru said. "Thankfully, the ball dribbled out of bounds."

Brunt sealed the victory for the Demons at the line, knocking down both free throws to extend the lead to 69-66.

"Nothing," Brunt said on what's going through his mind at the line. "I'm just in the gym working on my game."

The final two minutes were a heavyweight exchange.

After Mubiru knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:50 remaining to give NSU a 63–61 advantage, Southeastern (8-18, 5-12). answered at the line to retake control.

"I have to give a lot of credit to my coaches and teammates," Mubiru said. "They kept me up. There were a couple times I passed up some open shots since I wasn't making anything in the first half. They kept me going, kept me motivated. I'm thankful they kept me going and I knocked the shot down."

Willie Williams then delivered a clutch layup with 22 seconds left to put the Demons in front 65–64.

But Jalen Forrest, who entered the game averaging 7.6 points per contest, responded with a driving finish with 9 seconds to play, giving the Lions a 66–65 edge.

Forrest finished with 26 points, including 16 in the second half

Thomas had the final word.

Fouled on the next possession, the senior guard converted both attempts at the stripe — part of a 7-for-8 performance from the line — finishing with 26 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

Northwestern State's defense closed it out.

After forcing three key turnovers in the closing stretch, the Demons applied pressure on Southeastern's final possession, leading to Elyzee's lost ball and Brunt's game-clinching free throws.

The win was especially significant given the tiebreaker implications in the Southland standings, now that the Demons have the significant edge over Southeastern heading to the final stretch of the season.

Earlier in the second half, the Lions built a seven-point lead (39–32) just under three minutes after halftime, capitalizing on interior scoring and second-chance opportunities. Southeastern finished with 38 points in the paint and 16 second-chance points.

"These guys just followed what it takes to win," says Cabrera. "There's no recipe for playing. Defend and rebound. Offensively, they kept us in the game. As a group, just defend and rebound. We should be able to guard."

Northwestern State answered behind Thomas, who scored the Demons' first five points of the second half and repeatedly halted Lion runs. The Demons shot 47.8 percent after the break and 85 percent from the free-throw line overall (17-of-20).

The first half set the tone for the drama, featuring seven ties and eight lead changes before Southeastern carried a 35–32 lead into the locker room.

But in a season filled with close finishes that went the other way, Saturday's ending belonged to Northwestern.

"(These close games) have brought them closer together," Cabrera said. "They've been so coachable. They don't get rattled or talk back. That's what I love about them. Chris has grown every year since being here. I've always loved Chip's game. These guys stay together."

The Demons remain in Natchitoches as the Cowboys from Lake Charles come through for a visit on Mike McConathy Court on Monday. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.