BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University women's basketball team looks to get its first road win of the season when it travels to Prairie View A&M for a non-conference game at 5 p.m. Saturday.
 
The Cardinals (2-4) are 2-0 at home this season, but 0-4 away from the Montagne Center. LU comes in off a 60-41 win over Schreiner University on Monday.
 
"We're a young team, and we're having some growing pains," LU coach Robin Harmony said. "We have two seniors and one junior. Our young players are talented, but they're still learning how to play at the Division I level."
 
The Cardinals have used five different starting lineups over the first games as Harmony tries to find the right combinations.
 
"We're going to keep looking to see who works well together," Harmony said. "Players have plenty of chances to prove themselves. I'm not afraid to start three freshmen. You have to earn your playing time."
 
Prairie View A&M (3-1), a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), is riding high after a 77-68 upset win at Louisiana Tech on Wednesday. The Panthers have three players averaging in double figures in scoring, led by Lamaria Cole at 19.0 points per game. Larissa Scott, who is tied for the national lead in rebounding at 15.3 boards per contest, averages 14.8 points per game, while Alexus Parker averages 14.3 points per game.
 
"They get a lot of offensive production from those three players," Harmony said of the Panthers. "We have to go in there and play good defense."
 
Harmony believes tough games like Saturday's contest will get the Cardinals prepared for their Southland Conference schedule.
 
"We want to win, but that's not the most important thing. You have to look at the big picture. We have to keep getting better," Harmony said. "We do get upset when we don't play with the passion that defines Lamar University basketball."
 
Senior guard JaMeisha Edwards leads the Cardinals in scoring at 15.0 points per game, and has been LU's leading scorer in each of the past three games, averaging 20.7 points per game over that span. Edwards enters Saturday's game with 147 career 3-pointers, three behind Shauna Long for third place on LU's all-time list. Freshman guard Chastadie Barrs is second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game, while leading the Cardinals in rebounding (6.3 per game), assists (26) and steals (26). Barrs is tied for third in the nation in steals with an average of 4.33 per game.
 
"We have the talent, and you can see that in spurts," Harmony said. "Sometimes we play well together, sometimes we don't It's going to be a learning curve. But I have no doubt that the talent is there."
 
You can listen to Saturday's game by CLICKING HERE.
 
Following Saturday's game, the Cardinals take a break for final exams before opening a two-game homestand. LU hosts Canisius College at 7 p.m. Dec. 14 and Texas A&M-Kingsville at 7 p.m. Dec. 17. For ticket information, call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE.