Demons Conquer Non-Conference Challenges with Texas Showdown

By: Jason Pugh, Associate Athletic Director for External Relations

AUSTIN, Texas – The Northwestern State men’s basketball squad will commence its early journey to conclude the non-conference segment of its 2024-25 itinerary.

The Demons will finish their 12-game non-Southland Conference schedule on Sunday morning at 11 as they take on Texas, marking their third Southeastern Conference rival and fifth challenge from a power-conference opponent this season.

The matchup will be broadcast live on SEC Network+.

Northwestern (5-6) enters the contest following its lengthiest in-season hiatus of the year. The Demons haven’t played since a 89-79 victory over Southern-New Orleans on December 20 in Natchitoches.

“We’re truly thrilled to have the chance to compete against another team,” second-year head coach Rick Cabrera stated. “The enjoyable aspect of the season is engaging in games, and our players are always eager to compete. We had a very refreshing Christmas break to relax and recover. Now it’s time to step into our final non-conference matchup.”

Against the Longhorns (10-2), the Demons encounter what may be the most proficient offense they’ve faced this season.

Texas holds the second position nationally in field goal percentage, hitting 51.8 percent from the floor. The Longhorns are seventh in the nation for both 3-point shooting at 41.5 percent and effective field goal percentage (59.1).

Northwestern has successfully kept both Oklahoma and LSU under 45 percent shooting, partly thanks to strong defensive performances in the first half of both matchups. The same effort was evident in Northwestern’s latest encounter. Against SUNO, the Demons restricted the Knights to 32.3 percent shooting in the first half before SUNO converted 57.6 percent from the field in the following 20 minutes.

The Longhorns will mark the third distinct SEC team the Demons will confront, making this the second occurrence in three seasons for Northwestern to meet three opponents from the same power conference within a single season.

In 2022-23, the Demons competed against three Big 12 teams – Baylor, TCU, and Texas Tech.

“For our players, we approach all our adversaries with high regard,” Cabrera remarked. “They are simply prepared and willing to battle anyone, irrespective of the conference. Texas is incredibly skilled, and we are eager to compete against one of the leading programs in the nation.”

Before the nine-day interval between the win over SUNO and Sunday’s contest, the previous longest break for the Demons was a week-long pause between a victory at HCU and a defeat at California.

The Demons returned to Natchitoches on Thursday in a manner that has Cabrera feeling relaxed.

“Our return to practice has been fantastic,” he noted. “We have players who have a passion for basketball, and when you possess that love and enthusiasm, you are always prepared to compete.”