LAKE CHARLES, La. — Southland Player of the Year Vernell Atamah took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 of her 19 points to lift No. 5 seed Northwestern State past No. 8 seed East Texas A&M 69–56 on Monday morning in the opening round of the 2026 Air Force Reserve Southland Conference Basketball Championships presented by the Louisiana Office of Tourism.

The Demons (18–13) erased a double-digit first-half deficit and closed the game with a dominant final quarter, outscoring the Lions 27–13 to secure the comeback victory.

East Texas A&M (13–17) controlled the early portions of the game, building a 20–10 lead after the opening quarter and stretching the margin to as many as 13 points in the first half behind hot perimeter shooting.

Northwestern State gradually chipped away, cutting the deficit to 43–42 by the end of the third quarter before Atamah took over down the stretch. The conference’s top player poured in 14 points in the final period as the Demons pulled away with a decisive run late in the game.

Atamah finished with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including four three-pointers. Nya Valentine added 17 points and four assists, while Carla Celaya recorded a double-double with seven points and 13 rebounds.

One of the key sparks for Northwestern State came from Cimiya Rideaux, who entered the game averaging just 0.9 points per game. Rideaux delivered a breakout performance off the bench, scoring 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in nine minutes and helping fuel the Demons’ comeback effort.

The Demons dominated the glass, outrebounding the Lions 53–26 and scoring 36 points in the paint.

East Texas A&M was led by Tiani Ellison with 15 points, while Ahmya Boyce added 13 and Nina Horvath scored 12.

With the win, Northwestern State advances to face No. 4 seed UTRGV in the quarterfinal round Tuesday at 11 a.m. on ESPN+.