Northwestern State has taken control of their league and has received plenty of national love, but the Southland's supporting cast is aligning behind them to try and knock off the Demons in the upcoming conference tourney. McNeese (9-5) got blown out 97-79 in Natchitoches last weekend, but no team may be better-positioned to rob a few wins in March: they're seventh in the nation in steals with 10.2 a game. And last year's champs Southeastern Louisiana (8-6) are starting to peak at the right time: they've shaken off a five-game skid to win six of seven, and Ricky Woods (17.9 ppg) is arguably the league's best athlete. Tonight, the Lions and Cowboys will jockey for three-seed position behind NWSU and 10-4 Astyle=font-weight:bold HREF=http://schools.basketballstate.com/SAMH>Sam State.
