By Jonathon Zenk, Northwestern State Assistant Director of Communications; featured photo by Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services
LAKE CHARLES—It’s a new season for the Northwestern State women’s basketball team.
For the first time since the 2015-16 season, the Demons (15-14, 12-8) head into the Southland Conference Tournament with a winning record.
That regular season earned Northwestern State the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament and faces No. 8 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (15-16, 7-13) in the first round Monday, aiming for its first conference tournament victory since 2015.
Tip-off is at 11 a.m. and can be seen on ESPN+.
“There’s a lot more confidence in this year’s team,” head coach Anna Nimz said. “In past seasons, they did all the work and got us to that first round and I think this year’s group is ready to take that next step. I think they are playing confidently. With Mya Blake as our point guard. I’ve talked about her calmness and confidence that I think she provides to everybody else.
“There is excitement about it being the tournament, but I think there is an overall calmness and genuine locked-in feeling as opposed to jitters.”
In the only meeting this season, the Demons led 9-8 at halftime but had to come back in the fourth for a 46-42 victory in Corpus Christi. Mya Blake poured in 15 of her game-high 17 in the fourth quarter to lead Northwestern State to the big road victory.
After a loss to UIW, Northwestern State has won two in a row, by an average of 19 points per game, to finish the regular season and clinch the winning regular season.
“We came off a really disappointing loss to UIW and finished tied for fourth,” Nimz said. “But to have back-to-back games where were able to re-focus our defensive efforts and hold two good scoring offenses to around 50 points, and we capitalized more offensively. We were able to re-gain some of that confidence.”
Blake was named both first team all-conference and newcomer of the year following one of the most impressive seasons in recent history for Northwestern State.
Four times she scored at least 30 points in a game, the only player to do that this season in the Southland.
“This being one of my best seasons, it’s meant a lot to me,” Blake said. “This is my first time going to the playoffs in college, so I am really excited about that. I can’t complain.”
During league play, the senior averaged 19.6 points per game, nearly three points ahead of second place Nora Francois.
Blake ranked in the top 15 in points, rebounds, assists and steals per game, including the top three in points, assists and assist-to-turnover ratio.
Blake was joined with all-conference recognition by freshman of the year Vernell Atamah and all-defensive team member Jasmin Dixon.
Atamah is the first Demon to be named freshman of the year since Janelle Perez in 2013.
Her 405 points and 200 rebounds puts her in the top five among freshmen all-time at Northwestern State in both scoring and rebounding, one of only two Demons who can say that (Joskeen Garner).
While Blake and Atamah are the headliners, Nia Hardison has been playing her best basketball offensively of the season. She is coming off a career-high 21-point outburst on Senior Night against East Texas A&M.
After not reaching double figures in her first 18 games, the senior has done so five times in her last 10, averaging 9.6 ppg in those 10.
Like the last matchup, this could come down to the defensive end of the floor, which is led by Dixon and Hardison.
The Islanders have held four of the last seven opponents under 55 points in regulation, including regular season champion Southeastern Louisiana, while the Demons have held each of their last two opponents under the 60-point mark.
While the Islanders are the eighth seed, they aren’t your typical eight seed, as they are the only team to knock off SLU, doing so 54-52 on March 1 to cement their spot in the conference tournament.
They are also the defending tournament champion, winning over 2024 regular season champion Lamar to advance to the NCAA Tournament and returned five of their top six scorers from last year’s tournament team.
“They are the reigning champs and made the NCAA Tournament last year,” Nimz said. “They are a great team and (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Head Coach) Royce (Chadwick) does a great job. To go onto their home court and come away with a win was huge and I think that helps us re-focus our efforts coming into Monday with a little more poise and calmness about ourselves. We are both different teams than when we met in January. It’s going to be an incredibly tough game, but our girls are prepared and incredibly excited.
The winner of the first round matchup advances to the quarterfinals to face No. 4 UIW on Tuesday at 11 a.m.
“You have to have 40 minutes of play at this point in the season,” Nimz said. “Right now, everybody is going to be giving their best effort and we have to give our best for 40 minutes. We’re going to really have to focus on the defensive end and that is what has given us success all season and obviously capitalize on our offensive end when the opportunities are presenting themselves and we’re executing.”