BEAUMONT, Texas – JaMeisha Edwards scored 20 points to lead the Lamar University Cardinals to a 60-41 win over the visiting Schreiner Mountaineers in a non-conference women's basketball game at the Montagne Center on Monday night.
 
The Cardinals (2-4) improved to 2-0 at home this year, snapping a two-game skid. LU did it with defense, holding the Mountaineers to 28.3 percent shooting from the field (15-of-53) and collecting 13 steals as LU forced Schreiner into 21 turnovers.
 
The Cardinals never trailed in the contest, racing out to a 12-0 lead in the first 4:13 of the game, with Edwards getting eight of those points thanks to a pair of 3-pointers and a layup. Edwards, who was coming off a 26-point effort in Saturday's loss at Loyola Chicago, was one rebound shy of her first double-double, finishing with a career-high nine rebounds.
 
"It was good to play at home," Edwards said. "We definitely needed this win."
 
While the Cardinals never trailed in the game, LU coach Robin Harmony definitely saw some areas that her team needs to improve upon.
 
"Our intensity isn't there," Harmony said. "We work hard for two-and-a-half hours in practice, so that the games will be easier. But for some reason when the bright lights turn on, our intensity isn't there."
 
Kiara Desamours and Addesha Collins had nine points apiece for LU, while Khali Pippins-Tryon and Chastadie Barrs added six points apiece. Barrs also had team highs with four assists and five steals.
 
The Cardinals led 20-4 after one quarter and 36-16 at intermission, but the LU offense went cold to start the second half, scoring only four points over the first five minutes of the third quarter as Schreiner cut the LU lead to 40-29.
 
That's when Desamours and Edwards stepped things up, as back-to-back layups by Desamours followed by back-to-back 3-pointers by Edwards, all in the last 1:46 of the quarter, increased the LU lead to 50-29 heading into the final period.
 
"I knew we had to step up our intensity," Desamours said. "We knew we were a better team, but we weren't playing like it."
 
Kelsie Jackson led Schreiner with 16 points. Dyamond Puebla had nine rebounds for the Mountaineers.
 
The Cardinals return to action at 5 p.m. Saturday with a non-conference game at Prairie View A&M. After a break for final exams, LU returns to the Montagne Center for a two-game homestand, hosting Canisius College at 7 p.m. Dec. 14 and Texas A&M-Kingsville at 7 p.m. Dec. 17.
 
"We use these non-conference games to prepare ourselves for conference play," Harmony said. "We've played some tough teams to get us ready. We know if we played all of our games against opponents like this, we would not be prepared for our conference games.
 
"Our non-conference schedule allows us to see what our players can do and to give them chances to prove themselves. Some of them are running out of chances. They need to pick up their intensity, or they could be watching from the bench. They need to step up their game now."