Brison White matched his career high with 20 points and snatched a career-best six steals Saturday as Northwestern State piled up 18 steals and cruised by visiting Central Arkansas 93-73 for the Demons' sixth straight Southland Conference basketball victory.
Gary Stewart added 15 points, Gary Roberson 14, Shamir Davis 13 and DeQuan Hicks 10 as the Demons scored 36 points off 25 UCA turnovers. Northwestern (16-6 overall, 10-2 in the Southland) shot 49 percent from the floor and got a game-high 10 rebounds by O.J. Evans, also a career best, while sweeping the season series with the Bears (9-13, 4-8).
The Demons slowed the pace down the stretch with the game under control, but still topped their 83.9 scoring average that leads NCAA Division I.
UCA got 13 points from Jarvis Garner, 12 by DeShone McClure and 10 from LaQuentin Miles while making just 42 percent of its shots. The Bears came up with 21 Demons turnovers and had nine steals.
Northwestern opened a 45-34 lead and held off a couple of comebacks by UCA afterward. The Bears drew within 50-45 but a three-point play by Roberson with 16:39 remaining got NSU back up by 10, 55-45. The margin got inside 10 only once after, on a 3-pointer by Zach Padgett with 12:42 to go, but Stewart answered with a 3-ball of his own on the next possession to start a 7-0 burst.
The spread climbed to 20 points at 87-67 with 3:58 remaining and was as large as 23 while the Demons ran their offense through on most possessions, draining the clock before attacking the basket. NSU used 16 players although only 10 scored.
White sank 8-of-12 shots, including 2-of-3 on 3-pointers, and sank his only two free throws while dishing three assists to go with the six steals, just two off the single-game school record. He has 15 steals in the last four games.
Northwestern had 25 assists on 34 made baskets as it enhanced a No. 14 national ranking (16.1 average). Point guard Jalan West had five assists and five more players had at least three.
The Demons moved to 11-1 in Prather Coliseum this season, but they won't return there until March 7. NSU will play its next five away from home, beginning Thursday night at Southeastern Louisiana.
