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Northwestern State Lady Demons
RECORD: 23 - 7
REGION: Mideast SEED: 16
COACH: James Smith CONFERENCE: Southland |
RESULTS
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Road to the Final Four ...................................................................................
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La'Terrica Dobin
Dobin is literally a little Lady Demon on the court. But she makes up for it in a big way. The 5-foot-4 guard is about to become the first basketball player -- male or female -- to lead the nation in assists three consecutive years. The senior is averaging 9.8 assists and 15 points a game.
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ANALYSIS BY ESPN'S STACEY DALES-SCHUMAN
 Despite early blowout losses to teams such as DePaul, Duke and Auburn, James Smith's team showed great courage and the will to learn this season, finishing as the Southland's regular-season champion for just the third time in program history. Just goes to show that playing top-caliber teams only makes you stronger, regardless of the outcome.
The Lady Demons do a lot of their damage at the defensive end, ranking nationally with a 36 percent field-goal defense. Conversely, they feature a potent offense that showcases nearly four players in double-figure scoring. They like to attack the hoop, averaging a conference-best 43 percent from the field.
Their primary offensive force is junior forward Amanda Bennett. She leads the team with 17.5 points while rounding up eight boards. But perhaps one of the reasons Northwestern State flies for 74 points each game is 5-foot-4 senior point guard La'Terrica Dobin. Dobin hands out an unbelievable 10 assists while also averaging five rebounds and 15 points. Interestingly, she hasn't attempted a 3-point shot the entire season.
The Lady Demons rotate nine bodies to maintain the fast pace they enjoy. But rebounding is one area of concern. On average, Northwestern State gets outrebounded by four boards, which could post serious problems against deep, athletic teams. There is no denying that Smith's team will have to block out and work to counter the 16 offensive boards they typically serve up.
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