Demarcus Sharp’s gutsy performance sends NSU to Southland Tournament Championship

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KALB) - To win a championship, you have to earn a spot to play in a championship game.

The Northwestern State Demons earned every bit of their opportunity to play for a Southland Conference Tournament championship in a 74-70 win over #7 UNO.

The Demons started off the game strong on a 16-6 run on the back of Southland Player of the Year Demarcus Sharp. At one point in the first half, Sharp alone had 13 points while UNO as a team had just 13 points.

However, the Privateers would close a double-digit gap late in the first half to make it 36-28. Coming out of the half, UNO would close the gap even further, getting the game down to just one possession.

However, when the Demons needed a bucket, they dialed Demarcus. Sharp finished the game with 31 points and nine assists as the Demons led the entire game and hit clutch free throws down the stretch to secure the 74-70 win.

With the win, the Demons advanced to the Southland Tournament Championship game Wednesday, March 8, at 4 p.m. against the reigning Southland Tournament champs, Texas A&M Corpus Christi. The Islanders took both games from the Demons in the regular season.

The game will be played on ESPN2 with the winner securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

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