Texas A&M-CC Islanders 20-9 (12-4) vs. Northwestern State Demons 19-10 (12-4)
Saturday, February 25, Corpus Christi, TX, 5:30 PM ET, ESPN+
Another big contest takes place on Saturday afternoon when the top two teams in the Southland do battle for the second time this season. The Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will play host to the Northwestern State Demons in hopes of clinching the No. 1 seed in the Southland Conference tournament.
The two teams faced off in the conference opener for both squads with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi coming away with a 65-59 win in a back-and-forth affair. In that game Isaac Mushila and Terrion Maddux combined for 35 points and 22 rebounds, nearly outrebounding Northwestern State by themselves, the Demons grabbed 23 rebounds.
Since that game, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi has lost three games by an average of 5.6 points and has won eight of nine before getting tripped up last time out against the team they will finish the regular season against, Texas A&M-Commerce. The Demons began league play 0-2 after falling to the Islanders and McNeese State but have gone 12-2 since including a stretch that saw them win nine straight.
Since 2006 these two teams have been two of the more dominant ones in the Southland, combining for four titles and four other title game appearances. One of these two teams will be the top seed heading into the conference tournament, and even though both teams have one more game remaining before postseason play, a regular-season champ will likely be decided when these two tangles once again.