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Northwestern State
RECORD: 19-13 REGION: Midwest SEED: 16
COACH: Mike McConathy CONFERENCE: Southland |
RESULTS| STATS | HISTORY | MESSAGE BOARD
Road to the Final Four.............................................................................................
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Northwestern State has the unfortunate position of being put into the opening-round game. With the Demons' first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament, instead of getting the reward they deserve -- playing a No. 1 seed on the first day of the tourney -- they have to go to Dayton and struggle against a team, Winthrop, that is similar to them to hang onto their bid. The main thing for Northwestern State is to pursue another championship instead of just hanging on. The Demons are in a tough spot, but they'll need to embrace being in the NCAAs as best they can and not be too disappointed. Winthrop is a disciplined team and will be a tough opponent for the Demons. | | | Team Statistics | | | TEAM |
| Points Per Game |
71.6 |
| Rebounds Per Game |
31.8 |
| Assists Per Game |
12.0 |
| Steals Per Game |
9.2 |
| Blocks Per Game |
4.5 |
| Turnovers Per Game |
16.1 |
| Field Goal % |
.416 |
| Free Throw % |
.666 |
| 3-Point % |
.322 |
| 3-Pointers Per Game |
5.4 |
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| Scoring Margin |
-3.3 |
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How They Got Here
A year ago, the Demons lost in the MEAC title game. This year, they weren't suposed to win the MEAC title game. But guess, what? The Demons won the MEAC title game by snapping McNeese State's 15-game winning streak.
Northwestern State isn't anywhere near Illinois (Natchitoches, La., is home to Mike McConathy's bunch). And the Decons will be a heavy underdog in the first round. But that's OK, this team is used to beating the odds.
Northwestern, the sixth seed in the tournament, won seven of its last eight games, and beat three teams in the tournament that swept the Demons during the regular season.
Player to Watch
Michael Byars-Dawson calmly sank two free throws with nine seconds remaining to give Northwestern State a 72-71 victory over McNeese State in the Southland Conference tournament championship. It was fitting, the 5-11 guard led the Demons in scoring (13.5 ppg) and shot a team-high 75 percent from the charity stripe.
With the Ball
The Demons don't like to run, but will score in transition if given the opportunity. Chris Thompson, a 6-6 forward, compliments Byars-Dawson by scoring 12 points a game down low. Northwestern will run set plans that go through Thompson, but nobody is a star on a team full of role players.
Defending the Ball
The Demons will struggle to stop its first-round opponent, so setting a slow tempo will be the key. McNeese State got them into a running game and missed a lot of shots, something a better team won't do in the NCAAs.Bracketology Report
1985-2000:
Imagine if Northwestern had somehow won the Big Ten tournament. Could
the play-in game have been Northwestern vs. Northwestern State? Instead,
these Demons make their NCAA debut Tuesday night in Dayton after
upsetting McNeese State for the Southland title. The SLC has won 11
tournament games in its history, but only two since the field expanded.
Louisiana Tech defeated Pitt and Ohio State in 1985.
Roster
NCAA Basketball Championship Week
It's March, which means the madness has started and invitations are being reserved throughout Championship Week.
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 Not a real tournament game? Northwestern State's coach Mike McConathy doesn't think so.
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 The head coaches comment on Tuesday's showdown for the 64th spot in the tournament.
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