BEAUMONT, Texas — The Northwestern State men's basketball team found a different ending Monday night.

After weeks of close losses and narrow finishes, the Demons executed in the final seconds, earning a 70–68 road victory over Lamar at the Neches Arena in a game that featured 15 lead changes and momentum swings throughout.

With six seconds remaining and the Demons (7-18, 5-11) down one, Micah Thomas stepped to the free-throw line. He calmly knocked down the first attempt to give NSU the lead but missed the second.

Willie Williams crashed the glass, secured the offensive rebound and powered in the go-ahead layup with 4 seconds remaining to seal the win.

"Man, I'm so proud of this team," head coach Rick Cabrera said. "We finally had the ball bounce our way. We earned this victory. It wasn't given to us. Our guys defended well. We were a little shaky toward the end with some costly turnovers, but we battled back. We never quit. And there's nothing like having a happy bus going home."

The win marks Northwestern's first victory in Beaumont since 2023 against a Lamar team that entered the night with a strong home record in the series.

Unlike its previous outing at East Texas A&M — where the Demons scored just 19 first-half points — NSU came out aggressive from the opening tip. Northwestern shot 5-of-7 in the first five minutes, including three 3-pointers, and built a 19-10 lead by the 12:15 mark.

Cabrera made sure his team didn't carry the weight of its losing streak into Monday's matchup.

"We told our guys, you're not allowed to play like you've lost seven in a row," Cabrera said. "There's no pressure. Pressure is in real life. This is basketball. Just play the way you're capable of playing and follow the scout. And they defended. They did really well."

After pushing the lead to nine early, Lamar answered with a 12–2 run to briefly reclaim the advantage.

Still, the Demons steadied themselves and carried a 37–33 lead into halftime.

CJ Larry continued his steady rise, setting a new career high with 11 points while dishing six assists without a turnover. The freshman point guard added four rebounds and played with poise in a hostile road environment.

"CJ has earned his starting spot. It wasn't given to him," Cabrera said. "He's a ferocious defender and a true point guard. He played his best game. Six assists, no turnovers, 11 points — that's big time for a freshman on the road. In February, he's really not a freshman anymore."

The second half delivered the kind of back-and-forth battle expected in Southland Conference play.

Northwestern led for more than 32 minutes in the contest, but Lamar (12-13, 7-9) refused to fade.

With 4:56 remaining, Lamar tied the game at 61 before Rob Lee Jr. knocked down a tough jumper on the following possession to give the Cardinals the lead.

The teams traded blows from there.

Izzy Miles converted two free throws to give NSU a 67–66 edge with 1:07 remaining, but Lamar responded at the line to retake the lead with 31 seconds left.

Down the stretch, the Demons' defense delivered.

Lamar went 0-for-5 from the field in the final three minutes and finished just 1-of-7 over its final seven attempts, failing to record a field goal in the last 2:55 of the game.

Turnovers briefly threatened to undo the effort, but Cabrera credited his team's composure — and his own.

"I'll be honest, it was probably me and the staff," Cabrera said. "Normally I'm yelling and screaming, but I told myself that's not the way to go with this team. You've got to keep your composure and stay relaxed so they feed off you. I think they did. I wasn't a maniac. I just told them, it's going to go our way — but you've got to earn it on the road."

Williams did exactly that.

After Thomas split a pair at the line, Williams secured the offensive rebound and delivered the decisive basket. He finished with his second straight double-double and fifth of the season.

"Willie is one of the highest-character players I've coached in a long time," Cabrera said. "He hasn't played up to his standards lately, and he kept apologizing to me. I told him, you better not apologize. He said, 'Coach, I'm going to make it up.' And he sure did tonight."

The Demons shot 45 percent from the field and assisted on 19 of 25 made baskets while committing just eight turnovers for the game.

After weeks of watching close games slip away, Northwestern finally found a way to close.

"Sometimes the ball has to bounce your way," Cabrera said. "Sometimes you've got to earn it. This is a tough league. Every team is good. Tonight, we earned it."

Northwestern returns to Mike McConathy Court at Prather Coliseum on Saturday to open a four-game homestand, welcoming Southeastern for a 3:30 p.m. tipoff.