NACHITOCHES, La. (WNTZ) – For the first time since the 2015-16 season, the Northwestern State women’s basketball team is back in the postseason.

The Demons (16-15) will travel to Abilene Christian on Thursday for a first-round matchup in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

“It’s a little surreal,” head coach Anna Nimz said. “When you grow up loving basketball, you dream of playing in the postseason. As a coach, this is the goal your entire career. When we got the call that we’d been selected, it felt surreal. Getting to keep playing is such a blessing.”

Abilene Christian (ACU) holds a 6-2 all-time series lead over Northwestern State, including six consecutive victories and an unbeaten 4-0 record in Abilene.

“ACU is a very successful team in the WAC,” Nimz said. “Coach Julie Goodenough does an incredible job with her program. They are incredibly disciplined, tremendous 3-point shooters, and aggressive on 50-50 balls.

“There are teams in our conference that play similarly in terms of shooting capability and offensive action. We just have to come out and compete.”

This marks Northwestern State’s fifth WNIT appearance and its first since 1999, when the Demons fell 78-60 at Arkansas to cap off a 22-7 season. The program has experienced success in past WNIT tournaments, reaching the championship game in 1986 and 1995 when the field consisted of just eight teams.

Under Nimz, the Demons have seen a dramatic turnaround. After winning just one game in her first season, the program has climbed to 16 victories this year. Key contributors to the team’s rise are seniors Joelle Ayres and Jordan Dixon, both of whom rank in the top five in major statistical categories in program history.

Ayres ranks fourth in program history in career 3-pointers made (202), while Dixon is fifth in career blocks (147). The duo has played a pivotal role in Northwestern State’s return to prominence.

“I was pretty shocked when I got the call that we were going to the postseason,” Ayres said. “I was ready to hang up the cleats, but this felt like a second chance for us. We didn’t end the season the way we wanted to, so this opportunity means a lot.”

Northwestern State is one of five Southland Conference teams competing in the postseason, joining Stephen F. Austin (NCAA), Southeastern Louisiana (WBIT), Lamar (WNIT), and UIW (WNIT).

The 2015-16 season remains a notable benchmark for the program. Prior to this year, it was the last time the Demons posted a winning regular season, finishing 19-12 overall and 13-5 in conference play.

The Demons enter Thursday’s game as a prolific 3-point shooting team. In their Southland Conference quarterfinal loss to UIW, they made six 3-pointers, setting a new single-season school record with 215 made triples, surpassing the previous mark of 212.

Ayres and Mya Blake have both made at least 65 3-pointers this season, making them the first pair of teammates in program history to accomplish that feat in a single year.

Long-range shooting is expected to play a critical role in the matchup, as both Northwestern State and ACU heavily rely on the 3-point shot. ACU has made 249 triples on 813 attempts, with five players attempting at least 100 3-pointers.

Bella Earle leads the Wildcats in 3-point attempts with 158, shooting at a 29.7 percent clip. Emma Troxell follows with 148 attempts, connecting on 34.5 percent. Payton Hull is ACU’s top scorer, averaging 18.4 points per game while shooting 43-of-126 from deep.

The winner of Thursday’s contest will face Central Arkansas in the second round, with the game scheduled for either Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. The Demons previously faced UCA in non-conference play, falling 62-52 at home after the Sugar Bears pulled away in the fourth quarter.

Nimz expressed pride in the program’s progress, particularly the leadership of the senior class.

“One of the last things I told our seniors when I thought we were done was how important it is to leave a place better than you found it,” Nimz said. “Whether it’s a locker room, a meal table, or a basketball program, you should always strive to make it better.

“What a remarkable job this group of seniors has done. They are absolutely leaving it better than they found it.”