NATCHITOCHES — The Northwestern State men's basketball team traded blows with East Texas A&M for 40 minutes Wednesday night on Mike McConathy Court at Prather Coliseum, but the Demons came up just short in a 74-68 loss in a Southland Conference battle that featured 13 lead changes and 11 ties.

The Demons (6-17, 4-10) entered the break with a 31-27 lead, fueled by 12 points from Micah Thomas and eight from Justin Redmond.

Following two free throws from Noah Pagotto that extended East Texas A&M's lead to six, Redmond entered the game and responded with back-to-back buckets, hitting a difficult one-legged jumper and then a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to cut the deficit to one.

After the break, Northwestern State surged early in the second half, building a 10-point lead with 15:38 remaining after a Kordrick Turner turnaround jumper.

East Texas A&M (9-15, 4-10) answered quickly, as a deep 3-pointer from Vinny Sigona ignited a run that also included a Josh Taylor jumper and a 3 from Gianni Hunt, trimming the deficit to one and setting off a back-and-forth stretch.

Within four minutes of Northwestern taking the lead, the Lions reclaimed it behind a Damian Garcia 3-pointer.

"The guys that weren't out there were the 3-point shooters, and we allowed it," head coach Rick Cabrera said. "We weren't disciplined enough. I've always prided myself on being a defensive coach, and I've been awful."

The Demons refused to fold, however, as Thomas and J.C. Riley Jr. connected on several pick-and-roll actions to keep the game within reach.

Hunt later extended East Texas A&M's lead, and a Garcia tip-in pushed the margin to four.

With time winding down, Chip Brunt attacked the rim but came up empty, leading to free throws on the other end where Hunt sealed the outcome, sending Northwestern to a six-point loss.

Northwestern shot 55.6 percent in the second half and scored 37 points after the break, but East Texas A&M answered each push and closed the final minute at the free-throw line.

Thomas led all scorers with 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting, adding two assists and two steals to pace the Demons' offense. Willie Williams was a force inside, scoring all 10 of his points in the second half while pulling down eight rebounds, and Izzy Miles added nine points and five boards.

Northwestern held a 34-32 advantage in points in the paint and totaled 12 fast-break points, consistently turning defensive stops into transition opportunities.

The Lions relied entirely on their starting five, with all five scoring at least 12 points and accounting for all of East Texas A&M's offense.

Hunt scored all 16 of his points in the second half to go with six assists and five rebounds, while Garcia added 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Sigona connected on five 3-pointers and finished with 16 points, Pagotto chipped in 14 points and seven rebounds, and Taylor rounded out the effort with 12 points and five boards.

After scoring just 27 points in the first half, the Lions poured in 47 after the break, outscoring the Demons by 10 in the second half.

Despite the effort, Cabrera was candid in his postgame assessment.

"We're just bad at basketball right now," Cabrera said. "We're not committed to rebounding. We're not committed to getting stops. I'm the head coach. I get the blame. I'll protect them in the media, but we're just not doing winning things."

Cabrera also pointed to missed opportunities at the free-throw line as a critical factor late.

"Our margin for error in this league is very small," Cabrera said. "Guys have to get up there and make free throws. We practice it. You've got to make them."

While disappointed, Cabrera emphasized accountability and appreciation for the Northwestern faithful.

"I'm more upset for our fans," Cabrera said. "They still show up, and they care. Our season isn't over, but this isn't acceptable. That's on me."