CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Northwestern State men's basketball team starts its season-ending, two-game road trip Saturday evening with a matchup against Texas A&M–Corpus Christi inside the Hilliard Center.

Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and the game can be streamed live on ESPN+, with radio coverage available on the Demon Sports Network and flagship station 100.7 FM KZBL in Natchitoches.

Northwestern enters Saturday having won four of its last five contests, its strongest stretch of the conference slate.

The Demons (10-19, 8-12) are armed with momentum after a gritty 54–49 win over UIW on Monday night in their home finale.

"Last game was so important," head coach Rick Cabrera said. "It was a fun, ugly game. But we defended so well and scored the buckets we needed at the right times. It's all about momentum, especially late. A lot of people remember what you do late rather than what you did early."

It wasn't pretty early against UIW.

NSU scored just 18 first-half points — its lowest halftime output of the Cabrera era outside of a 14-point half against No. 9 Baylor in December 2023 — and trailed 23-18 at the break. Micah Thomas, the reigning Southland Conference Player of the Week, went 0-for-7 in the opening half.

But the Demons responded.

Thomas drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to spark a 10-0 second-half run and finished with 18 points — all after halftime — including two clutch free throws with 19 seconds remaining to seal the win. Willie Williams added 15 points and anchored the paint, while Chris Mubiru delivered nine rebounds and key defensive plays as Northwestern held UIW to 8-of-27 shooting in the second half.

Rebounding was a collective effort.

"I don't allow them to use size as a crutch," Cabrera said. "We might be the smallest starting five in the league, but go figure out a way to get it. It's gang rebounding. It's not Willie Williams rebounding. It's everybody go get it."

Mubiru's nine boards — six on the defensive end — helped offset stretches where Williams wasn't as dominant on the glass. Thomas added six rebounds of his own.

"Those rebounds matter," Cabrera said. "We need our guards to go rebound. When the shot goes up, go pursue the basketball."

Now comes a familiar opponent — and one tied to some of the most dramatic moments of Northwestern's recent seasons.

Texas A&M–Corpus Christi (15-14, 11-9) enters Saturday fresh off a 73–68 win at Southeastern on Monday. The Islanders weathered a second-half Lions rally, with D'Avian Houston, Nick Shogbonyo and Evran Cenker each scoring 14 points in the victory.

The Islanders shot over 50 percent from the field in that win and hold a 6-2 record this season when eclipsing the 50-percent mark.

Defense remains their calling card. Texas A&M–Corpus Christi ranks 13th nationally in 3-point percentage defense at 29.7 percent — the best mark in the Southland Conference — consistently limiting opponents' perimeter rhythm.

"If one thing travels, it should be defense," Cabrera said. "At the end of practice, I tell them to pack three things: toughness, rebounding and defense. That travels. And on the road, you need it."

The first matchup this season came Jan. 10 on Mike McConathy Court, when Thomas delivered a one-legged, buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give the Demons a 79–78 victory.

Last season in the Southland Conference Tournament's opening round, Thomas buried a 3-pointer from the right wing with 17.3 seconds remaining to eliminate the Islanders.

The Demons carry a two-game winning streak over Texas A&M–Corpus Christi — their first two-game stretch in the series since 2013, when Northwestern won four straight from Feb. 5, 2011, to March 7, 2013.

But Cabrera expects a different challenge in Corpus Christi.

"After watching the film, the first 14 minutes of the first half against them was pretty embarrassing," he said. "They got whatever they wanted in the paint. They're very tough, very physical. Probably the most physical team in the league. They play 12 or 13 guys and that's their identity."

The Islanders are known for their physicality and depth, often rotating heavily and pressuring opponents for 40 minutes.

"I always tell our guys we're not matching anybody's toughness or intensity," Cabrera said. "They need to match ours, or it needs to be equal. We're going down there to do the same thing they do."

For NSU, the emphasis remains simple: defend, rebound, and execute.

"I rarely talk about making shots," Cabrera said. "I talk about executing. I don't want them tightening up offensively. I want them tightening up defensively."

If recent history between the teams is any indication, Saturday's matchup could once again come down to the final possession.

But Cabrera said Northwestern hopes the momentum it built at home can carry south.

"We've got momentum," Cabrera said. "Our guys believe in each other. They're tough. They defend. When you go on the road, you've got to defend. I'm excited for this Texas run."