HAMMOND, La. – Two teams looking to break season-high losing streaks will square off when Southeastern Louisiana travels to Northwestern State Thursday for an 8 p.m. Southland Conference tip-off in Prather Coliseum.    

    Southeastern (13-13, 6-7 Southland) lost its third straight, 60-52, at home to New Orleans on Saturday, the longest losing streak for the Lions since a nine-game slide from Dec. 4, 2015-Jan. 16, 2016. Southeastern, which have dropped five of its last six, is in eighth place in the conference with five games remaining.

    Northwestern State (9-14, 3-9 Southland), meanwhile, dropped its fifth straight, 76-72, at Abilene Christian on Saturday. The Demons have not won since an 85-71 win at Southeastern on Jan. 25.

    "It's always a challenge," Southeastern head coach Jay Ladner of playing at team the second time around. "At this point of the year, there really are no secrets among the teams. With video and everything the way it is now, scouting is very intense. We have to be prepared. I don't see them changing a lot. They were very successful and they will force us, I think if there are any changes, to do the changing. We're not going to change a lot either at this point of the year. With five games left, you can throw in an inbounds play or maybe one set play, but basically you're going to play like you play and we just have to play better."

    The game will be televised on the American Sports Network. A live video stream and a list of affiliates will be available at www.southland.org. The game can also be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9), online at www.LionSports.net/listenlive and via the TuneIn Radio app. A links to live stats, provided by Northwestern State, will be accessible on the men's basketball schedule page at LionSports.net.

    Southeastern held conference-leading New Orleans to a season-low 32.7 percent from the field on Saturday but could not overcome a cold spell of its own, going scoreless over an 8:17 span of the second half as the Privateers went on an 11-0 run to take the lead for good.

    Sophomore guard Marlain Veal had 14 points and six assists to lead the Lions, while senior center Dominic Nelson grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds. Nelson also blocked four shots to climb to number six on the Lions' all-time season list with 53. Southeastern shot 37.5 percent, including 25 percent on 3-pointers, and turned the ball over a season-high 23 times in being held to its season low in points.

    Northwestern, conversely, shot 51.0 percent, including 62.1 percent in the second half, but could not overcome a 36-27 halftime deficit at Abilene Christian. Sophomore forward Ishmael Lane tossed in a game-high 32 points while grabbing a team-best seven rebounds. Senior guard Sabri Thompson added 15 points while junior guard Devonte Hall had seven assists.

    Thursday's game will be a matchup between one of the conference's leading defenses against one of its highest-scoring squads. Southeastern leads the conference in scoring defense (68.2 ppg) while ranking second in field goal percentage defense (43.0 percent). Northwestern State comes in averaging 75.6 points on 43.9 percent from the field, including 36.4 percent on 3s.

    Thompson is third in the Southland in 3-pointers made (2.7 per game) and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (.442) while averaging 13.7 points. Lane is tossing in 10.6 points while pulling down a team-high 5.8 rebounds per contest. Hall (10.3 ppg) leads the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.9) and is second in assists (115, 5.0 apg). Junior guard Iziahiah Sweeney (8.4 ppg) and senior guard Tra'von Joseph (7.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg) are the other projected starters for the Demons.

    On the other end of the court, Southeastern is averaging 71.4 points per game on 44.9 percent shooting. The Lions are fourth in the league in 3-point field goal percentage at 37.7 percent. Northwestern State is allowing 79.6 points on 47.3 percent shooting, including 38.1 percent on 3s.

    Veal leads Southeastern with 13.3 points per game while ranking fifth in the conference in assists (4.4 apg) and ninth in steals (1.7 spg). Junior forward Davon Hayes (12.8 ppg) has 17 double-digit scoring games on the season. Nelson (4.1 ppg) is third in the league and 40th nationally in blocks (2.04 bpg), while also ranking 11th in the league in rebounding (6.7 rpg). Junior guard Jabbar Singleton (4.4 ppg, 67 assists) is the only Lion to start all 26 games this season. Junior forward James Currington (8.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg) has started 10 games since missing the first nine with an injury.

    Sophomore forward Moses Greenwood (12.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg) is fifth in the league in field goal percentage (.566).

    Southeastern is averaging 36.0 rebounds and allowing 34.2. Northwestern State is third in the Southland with 36.7 rebounds - including a second-best 12.2 offensive boards – while allowing 36.4.

    Rebounds were a key in the teams' previous meeting this season as the Demons held the Lions to a season-low 23 rebounds while grabbing 39.

    "That was the stat of the game and was the most disappointing thing I took from that basketball game, that they worked us over so badly on the boards, particularly their offensive glass," Ladner said. "It ended up being the difference in the game. You look at the shooting percentages and the other stats, they are all very comparable, but we just didn't do a very good job (rebounding). We'll really have to have more attention to detail there."

    Hayes led Southeastern with 13 points. Currington and sophomore guard Dimi Cook both had 11 points while Greenwood and junior forward Eddy Polanco each had 10 as the Lions shot 46.8 percent from the field. Currington had a team-high six rebounds.                                                                                                               

    Jordan Bell led the way for Northwestern State with 12 rebounds while scoring 18 points. Hall had a game-high 28 points while Thompson had 14 as the Demons shot 50.9 percent.

    "We have a great challenge in front of us," Ladner said. "One of our goals here, and I think it would be a great step for our program, is if we could finish with a winning season. We have five left and we're 13-13 so our destiny is in our own hands, which I like."

    Southeastern returns home Saturday to host Stephen F. Austin at 5 p.m. in the University Center. Nelson will be honored in a pregame Senior Day ceremony. Saturday is also Alumni Day, as all former Lions are invited to be honored at halftime of the contest.