NSU visits Rice trying to win 4th straight

HOUSTON – The Northwestern State basketball team tries to extend a three-game winning streak Monday night at Rice in a matchup of similar styles and deep playing rotations.

The Demons (5-4) and the Owls (8-3) collide at 7 p.m. at Tudor Fieldhouse in the first meeting between the programs in 18 years, since Mike McConathy was in his first season as NSU’s coach.

NSU has throttled back its high-scoring offense significantly and with marked overall improvement, while maintaining McConathy’s wave substitution patterns. The Demons have 12 players in their rotation, 10 who played at least 11 minutes in Saturday’s 68-64 neutral court victory over UL Monroe.

Rice has used 10 players extensively in a system that is producing 83.8 points per game, 30th nationally.

“They’re really good,” said McConathy. “They’ll shoot it very well (49 percent) and are very effective shooting 3-pointers (39 percent, averaging nine per game). This is a very good test for us.”

Rice fell 83-73 Saturday night at Pitt. The Owls have a pair of wins over Southland Conference foes, 87-79 at Incarnate Word and 70-63 over Stephen F. Austin.

They feature two of the country’s top 70 scorers, Marcus Evans (19.5 average) and Egor Koulechov (18.8), who is third nationally with 58 percent 3-point accuracy. He leads the Owls with a 7.4 rebounding average.

NSU is aiming for its second win at a Conference USA foe, having beaten UTEP 79-67 on Dec. 3.

Senior swingman Zeek Woodley’s 17.3 scoring average leads the Demons, while sophomore center Ishmael Lane is contributing 10.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Senior Tra’von Joseph is NSU’s top rebounder with a 7.0 average.

Rice’s Evans, a sophomore, has a 20.9 career scoring average that is second best in major college basketball, while Woodley’s 19.2 career average ranks seventh.

The Demons spent time shooting free throws at Prather Coliseum Sunday before departing for Houston. NSU was just 13 of 27 at the line against ULM, including an 8 of 20 performance in the second half that helped the Warhawks narrow a 23-point first-half deficit down to three points midway through the final period, and opened the door for a late rally from 12 down to within three in the closing minute. ULM never had the ball with a chance to tie, however.

After finishing 10th nationally in free throw aim (77 percent) last season, and returning the top four scorers for this season, NSU has made just 64 percent at the line this year.

Monday’s game is the last before Christmas for the Demons, who play their final non-conference game at home Dec. 28 against Louisiana College. Conference play begins on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 31, in Prather Coliseum against McNeese.