Men’s university basketball

By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Associate Athletic Director for External Relations; featured photo by Juan Deleon, HCU Athletics

HOUSTON – As the Northwestern State men’s basketball team experienced fluctuations in their offensive play Saturday afternoon at Sharp Gym, the Demons relied on their defensive foundation.

Northwestern held the home team Houston Christian to just one field goal in the last four minutes, securing a 64-57 victory in the Southland Conference and marking the first 2-0 start in league play for the program since the 2012-13 season.

“That’s our foundation,” second-year head coach Rick Cabrera stated. “These players start their day thinking about defense. It’s the focus of our discussions. They have the talent to score, but strong defense will resolve many issues. They tightened up and secured rebounds when it counted.”

The Demons (4-5, 2-0) established a seven-point advantage by halftime, largely due to an offense that registered 55.6 percent shooting from the field in the initial 20 minutes.

As it did in the closing moments of the game, Northwestern’s defense excelled late in the first half, restricting HCU (3-7, 1-1) to a 2-for-9 performance from the field.

The Huskies almost erased their halftime deficit quickly, scoring the first six points of the half until Addison Patterson halted the momentum with a three-pointer.

Patterson’s shot was his only three-point basket of the game, yet the 6-foot-7 senior provided a career-high scoring effort by persistently challenging the HCU defense.

Patterson converted 10 of 16 attempts, totaling 25 points to lead all scorers. His three-point play with 21 seconds left provided the Demons with a two-possession lead for the first time since Willie Williams’ putback layup put Northwestern ahead 54-49 with 4:55 remaining.

That rebound and score enabled Williams to achieve a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds while playing in front of his hometown crowd.

“Having my family and friends in the stands means a lot,” stated Williams, whose impressive putback dunk broke a 22-all tie and initiated a 9-0 run in the first half. “It feels great to be home and walk away with a win.”

The Huskies, energized by their quick start to the second half, continued to chip away, tying the game at 44 with 11:33 to go and at 54 with 3:55 left. Each time, the Northwestern defense responded, preventing HCU from taking the lead.

After Julian Mackey’s three-point play with 3:55 remaining resulted in the final tie, Jon Sanders II and Patterson dominated both offensively and defensively.

The Demon seniors combined to score the last 10 points of the game, including back-to-back three-point plays down the stretch to ensure the Demons’ consecutive road victories.

Sanders sealed the win by stealing the ball from Elijah Brooks at midcourt and converting it into a three-point play, finishing with 17 points.

“That’s how you clinch the game,” said Patterson, who recorded three of the Demons’ six steals. “In high-pressure moments, especially on the road when they’re familiar with their own court and rims, we must ensure each shot is contested. We did that. We caused several turnovers and got to celebrate during transition.

“We have athletes and scoring talent. It’s essential we prioritize defense. When we focus on defense, we can enjoy some exciting offense.”

The Demons will be back in action next week as they head to California. The tipoff for the first encounter between the Demons and Golden Bears is scheduled for 2 p.m. Central Standard Time.