EDINBURG, Texas — A furious second-half push wasn't enough for the Northwestern State men's basketball team as UTRGV used a pair of decisive runs to pull away late and hand the Demons a 74-62 loss Monday night inside the UTRGV Fieldhouse.

After trimming the deficit to three midway through the second half, NSU saw the Vaqueros respond with a 12-2 surge that reestablished control and ultimately sealed the regular-season finale.

"Credit to UTRGV for being tougher, being more physical," head coach Rick Cabrera said. "They set a statement from the minute that the game started. I want to give them more praise than anything, but we weren't very tough, which is very disappointing. Didn't do tough things to win games, didn't get 50-50 balls. Even though we out-rebounded them, we didn't get the important rebounds."

The Demons (10-21, 8-14) battled throughout, led by Willie Williams, who recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Williams was the steady presence on both ends, scoring in transition, finishing through contact in the paint, and keeping Northwestern State within striking distance during multiple UTRGV runs.

"At times it felt like Willie was just out there by himself," Cabrera said. "He was a monster. He wasn't perfect, but nobody's perfect in a game. Willie was a lifesaver. He kept us in the game. If he didn't get the tough rebounds, I don't know who was getting them. But we need somebody else to step up and help him."

UTRGV (18-13, 14-8) closed the game on a 9-2 stretch and shot efficiently down the stretch, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities and timely perimeter shooting to stretch the margin to double digits in the three minutes.

Northwestern showed resilience early in the second half.

After trailing 39–30 at halftime, the Demons chipped away behind Williams' interior scoring and Chris Mubiru's energy around the rim. A Williams layup at the 14:32 mark cut the deficit to 44-41, and free throws from Izzy Miles brought Northwestern within four at 47–43.

For a moment, momentum appeared to tilt toward the visitors.

But UTRGV answered with a decisive stretch, using physical drives and tough shot-making to spark a run that created separation.

"It's a little bit of both," Cabrera said of the second-half surge. "They're a very good basketball team. There's a reason they earned a bye and have won 12 of their last 13 or 14 games. They made some tough shots because they have talented dudes. They stepped up their defensive intensity, were very physical versus Micah (Thomas) and against all of our guys, and we just didn't handle that well."

Koree Cotton and Jaylen Washington combined for multiple key buckets during the pivotal run that pushed the lead from six to 16, turning a competitive game into an uphill climb for Northwestern.

Miles added 14 points, including a pair of late 3-pointers, while Thomas finished with 12 points. Landyn Jumawan chipped in six points, and Mubiru provided key transition finishes to keep momentum alive during first-half stretches.

The opening 20 minutes featured runs from both sides.

After an early exchange of 3-pointers, the Demons strung together an 8–0 burst fueled by aggressive drives and free throws from Jumawan and CJ Larry to build an 8–3 lead.

UTRGV answered with a surge of its own, sparked by Marvin McGhee III and Cotton from beyond the arc. The Vaqueros knocked down five first-half 3-pointers and built their largest lead of the half at 39-29 before Miles hit a free throw in the final seconds to make it 39-30 at the break.
Despite shooting efficiently for stretches, Northwestern struggled to string together defensive stops.

"For three quarters of the game, we were shooting between 48 and 50 percent," Cabrera said. "But if you don't get stops, especially on the road, you're not going to win. We didn't put ourselves in position to win because we didn't guard. They just kept getting things at the rim. That's unfortunate."

By virtue of Stephen F. Austin's win against UIW, the Demons clinched the No. 7 seed in the Southland Conference Tournament and will face Nicholls on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. inside the Legacy Center at McNeese's Townsley Law Arena in Lake Charles.

"It's a new season," Cabrera said. "We're capable of beating anybody on a neutral court. I have to get their minds back and not allow this game to affect the rest of our season."