By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Associate Athletic Director for External Relations; featured photo by Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services
HAMMOND – Another Monday night, another massive road win for the Northwestern State men’s basketball team.
For the second time in three weeks, the Demons saved their best for the second half of a visit to a Southland Conference rival, rallying from a double-figure deficit to slip past Southeastern Louisiana, 72-69, inside the Pride Roofing University Center.
“I know a lot of people always want to put two halves together, and I want to also,” second-year head coach Rick Cabrera said. “The reality is it’s very rare for teams to play two great halves. If you’re only going to play one great half, I’d rather it be in the second half.”
Down five at halftime, the Demons (13-15, 10-8) watched the Lions (18-11, 12-6) start quickly in the second half, building an 11-point lead less than five minutes into the half.
That’s when Northwestern turned aggressive.
Free-throw accuracy propelled an 11-1 run that pulled the Demons within one with 10:54 to play. Love Bettis and Jerald Colonel combined to hit six free throws in that stretch while Colonel also added an assist on a Willie Williams layup.
The Demons, who entered the game second in the league in free-throw shooting in conference games at 72.6 percent, were brilliant at the line, hitting 17 of its 19 free throws for the game. In the second half, Northwestern was 10 for 12 from the line as the Demons clinched a winning record (6-4) on the road in Southland play.
“These guys listened to everything on the scout,” Cabrera said. “They were dialed in. I had a good feeling from yesterday’s practice and today’s shootaround. I told them we’re going to win this game, just stay locked in and do the right things. They did the right things and good things happened.”
Much of those good things came on defense, especially in the second half.
The Demons limited the Lions to 38.5-percent shooting in the second half, including a 1-for-11 mark from 3-point range.
Northwestern also began to take care of the basketball. After seeing Southeastern turn seven Demon turnovers into 13 first-half points, Northwestern committed just five second-half turnovers.
“We had some live-ball turnovers and bone-headed plays in the first half that led to some dunks in transition for them,” Cabrera said. “We regrouped and told ourselves to be smart and take care of the ball. We only had five in the second half, which is not bad because you’re going to have turnovers. It depends on if they’re scoring points. They didn’t in the second half.”
While the Lions were struggling to score in the second half, the Demons’ backcourt combo of juniors Bettis and Micah Thomas did not.
Thomas followed up his 23-point performance at New Orleans on Saturday with a 24-point night that included a 5-for-8 mark from 3-point range. Bettis was 6 for 8 from 2-point range and a perfect 6-for-6 at the line.
Thomas knocked down a pair of go-ahead 3-pointers in the second half, including one at the 6:05 mark that gave the Demons the lead for good.
Equally as important, the pair helped lead a defense that limited Jakevion Buckley, the conference’s leading scorer in league play at 17.6 points per game to just four points – two in each half.
“I’m biased, but I think I have the best guards in the league,” Cabrera said. “They make tough plays and tough shots, and it’s because of their talent not our coaching. I’m so proud of Micah. He had 23 on Saturday and 24 tonight. He’s playing like a high-level, all-conference guard at the right time, and Love is right there with him.”
The Demons return to action Saturday when they open the final homestand of the regular season by hosting HCU. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on Mike McConathy Court at Prather Coliseum.