BEAUMONT, Texas - When the heat got intense, Baileigh O'Dell was one cool customer.

The Lamar freshman hit two free throws with 33.1 seconds remaining in regulation to snap a 72-72 tie and propel the Lamar Lady Cardinals to a 76-72 win over Abilene Christian in a Southland Conference women's basketball game Saturday.

O'Dell had  a team-high 20 points, including a 4-of-4 effort from the foul line as Lamar (11-10 overall, 8-2 Southland) moved into sole possession of first place in the Southland Conference, one game ahead of Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State. O'Dell also tied a career high with five assists.

"We showed a lot of character today," Lamar coach Robin Harmony said. "We started out slow, but it's a tribute to our players that they stayed in there and found a way to win."

After O'Dell's two free throws, Abilene Christian (11-9, 3-6) missed two 3-pointers that would have given the Wildcats the lead. Lamar's Dominique Edwards grabbed the rebound after a missed trey by Ellyn Avery and sank two free throws that sealed the win.

"I knew we needed a big-time rebound and I was determined to get it," Edwards said. I said a little prayer before I took the free throws, but I had confidence because I make those every day in practice."

Edwards finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season and 20^th of her career. JaMeisha Edwards had 18 points, 16 after intermission as the Lady Cardinals rallied from a 41-38 halftime deficit.

"We got some huge stops in the second half, but we also got lucky because Abilene Christian missed some wide open 3-pointers," Harmony said. "We can't take any team lightly. Everybody we play tries to knock us off our nest. We have to be ready every night."

Suzzy Dimba had a double-double for Abilene Christian, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Sydney Shelstead added 20 points for the Wildcats.

Both teams were perfect from the foul line for the game, as Lamar was 15-of-15, while Abilene Christian was 12-of-12.

"We had a great day at the line," Harmony said. "That's something I was very happy to see."

Lamar returns to action at 7 p.m. Thursday when it travels to Abilene for a rematch with the Wildcats to open a two-game road trip. The Lady Cardinals are at Incarnate Word at 5 p.m. Feb. 7. Lamar's net home game is 7 p.m. Feb. 12 against Houston Baptist in the annual Pink Out game to promote breast-cancer awareness.

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