Davis nails school-record 10 threes as Northwestern State downs SUNO

NATCHITOCHES – Less than three minutes into Tuesday’s game against Southern-New Orleans, Cliff Davis knew he was in for one of those nights.

Davis, Northwestern State’s sharpshooting junior guard, had no idea just how special his night was about to become.

Launched by a red-hot first half, Davis set a school single-game record for 3-pointers in a game, connecting on 10 long-range buckets, to lead the Demons to a 99-75 win against visiting Southern-New Orleans inside Prather Coliseum.

“I really thought it was going to be a regular night where I hit five or six,” said Davis, who scored all 30 of his points from beyond the arc. “I didn’t think it would be like how it ended.”

Davis’ record night helped the Demons (2-10) snap a 10-game losing streak and center themselves before a 10-day break between games. It helped that plenty of his teammates enjoyed some semblance of a special night as well.

Junior point guard Braelon Bush was perfect from the field, hitting all six of his shots, and finished with a 12-point, 10-assist double-double – his first double-double at the Division I level since Dec. 2, 2020, when he totaled 13 points and 10 assists against Dallas Christian while at McNeese.

The Bush-Davis combo played a pivotal role in each player’s standout statistical night as Bush was credited with the assist on six of Davis’ 10 3-pointers.

“With Cliff breaking the record and me getting a 10-assist game, it meant everything,” Bush said. “We’ve taken a lot of punches. It feels great to be back in the dub column. We’ve got a win again, let’s keep it going.”

Davis’ big game flipped his month-long narrative on its head. In the Demons’ previous seven games, Davis had hit 20 of his 28 3-pointers in the second half of games.

His barrage of seven first-half 3s on 10 tries equaled his previous career high for 3s in a game, which came in back-to-back games at Southern Miss and at Boise State on Dec. 9 and 12, respectively.

“The farther away from the basket you are, the harder it is to get the ball in the basket,” first-year head coach Rick Cabrera said. “He has a gift of making 3s and shooting them at a high clip. He’s done it in Division I games. I’m not totally surprised he did it today. He was open a lot, but that’s what great shooters do – make open 3s. He did that.”

After his scintillating first half, Davis did not hit a second-half 3 until the 9:14 mark when Bush found him for a bucket that pushed the Demon lead to 83-52. Davis did not force a run at the record, waiting until 4:12 was left on the clock to hit the tying shot.

One possession and 48 seconds later, the record was his as Bush found him on a curl at the top of the key to again build a 30-point lead for the Demons.

While Davis ignited a fluid first half that saw the Demon shoot 56 percent from the floor and 50 percent from 3-point range, it was junior Duane Posey who helped steady the Demons during an uneven second half in which the NSU lead never dipped below 23 points and stayed at 25 or more for much of the final 20 minutes.

Posey, a 6-foot-7 Alabama State transfer, collected his first double-double in a Demon uniform by setting career highs in points (13) and rebounds (15). Posey’s big game helped offset a sublime performance from SUNO’s 26-year-old freshman Jamal Gibson, who matched Davis for game-high honors with 30 points and tied Posey with a game-high-tying 15 rebounds.

Posey’s 15 rebounds were an individual season high for Northwestern State and the most for a Demon since Jalen Hampton grabbed 15 at Central Arkansas on Nov. 16, 2022.

“We work so hard,” Posey said. “My teammates get in the gym days and nights besides practice. It’s a good feeling all around. Rebounding is something my coaches challenge me to do every game. Go out, be physical and just be the toughest on the court.”

In addition to Davis, Bush and Posey, Anthony Thomas (12) and Justin Wilson (12) each cracked double figures for the Demons, who put five players in double figures for the first time this season and the first time since a Feb. 2, 2023, win at HCU.

The Demons will take a 10-day break before returning to action against LSU on Dec. 29. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.