Box Score Feb. 21, 2015 Box Score
BEAUMONT, Texas - Senior Tyran de Lattibeaudiere scored 16 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as the Lamar Cardinals knocked off rival McNeese State, 58-53, in front of the largest crowd of the season Saturday night at the Montagne Center. The victory moves the Cardinals two games over .500 (14-12) on the season and 8-6 in Southland Conference play.
"I'm really proud of these guys tonight," said head coach Tic Price. "We made plays when we absolutely had to have them, and we were able to follow up with some key stops. This is a win that we can build from. I thought the crowd gave us a huge boost. They never allowed us to get down.
"The disappointing thing for me is we got beat on the boards. I don't like losing the hustle stats. So that was very disappointing, but they have some guys that crash the boards well," added Price.
Sophomore Marcus Owens had another big night for the Cardinals netting 18 points to lead all scorers, while junior Quan Jones provided 11 points in the start as the Cardinals shot 44 percent from the field, including a 9-of-18 (.500) performance in the second half. McNeese State also showed marked improvement from the field in the final 20 minutes finishing the night 18-fo-51 (.353), after shooting just 28 percent in the opening stanza.
The Cardinals were beat on the glass, 37-28, a mark that included 17 offensive boards for McNeese State. McNeese's bench also outscored Lamar's reserves, 14-4.
Neither team shot the ball well from beyond the arc. The Cardinals were 6-of-22 (.273), while McNeese ended the night 4-of-18 (.222).
It didn't take fans long to realize the game was going to be a close struggle all night. Neither team could manage greater than a four-point lead in the opening half, and both teams shot less than 40 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes. The back-and-forth affair saw nine lead changes and three times in the first with the Cowboys clinging to a two-point lead heading into the locker room.
The lead appeared to be all McNeese State would need to hold off Big Red in front of a large crowd, that not only came out to support the Cardinals but show its support to former coaches and players that returned to campus for reunion weekend. With the game tied just two minutes into the half, McNeese State went on a 9-0 run to take a 39-30 lead. That would be the largest lead all night for either team, and it was a run that Lamar would not allow to go unanswered.
Following a timeout, the Cardinals responded with an 11-2 run to tie the game at 41 with just over 10 minutes remaining. Lamar finally jumped back out on top but the lead would change hands six times before Lamar would take it for good on two free throws by de Lattibeaudiere. The charity shots were two of four makes de Lattibeaudiere recorded in the final 2:09 as the Cards outscored McNeese, 10-5, to close out the game.
The Cowboys were led by Desharick Guidry's 13 points and eight rebounds, while Kevin Hardy added 10 points.
Fans were treated to a special ceremony at halftime, as former head coach Pat Foster was honored for his accomplishments as Lamar's head coach. A banner was hung from the rafters - next to former head coach Billy Tubbs' banner - commemorating Foster's run of dominance in Beaumont.
The Cardinals return to action Monday when they travel to Nacogdoches to take on Stephen F. Austin. The game against the Lumberjacks is slated to begin at 7 p.m. from the William R. Johnson Coliseum.
-LAMAR-
