BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University Cardinals basketball team (10-9/2-5 Southland) faces a tall order when it steps on the court Monday evening for its next contest. Having dropped consecutive games and five of their last six, the Cardinals will look to right the ship against the two-time defending Southland Conference champion Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks in Nacogdoches. The 'Jacks are one of three league teams sitting atop the conference standings without a loss, 13-5/6-0 SLC. The Cardinals are currently ninth in the league standings a game back of Central Arkansas and McNeese State.
 
SFA enters the Monday night contest as the league leaders in scoring offense and defense. The Lumberjacks are averaging nearly 80 points (79.6 ppg), while surrendering less than 67 to their opponents (66.6 ppg). LU is second to the Lumberjacks in scoring offense averaging 78.6 per game. The Cardinals have struggled defensively in their last four losses surrendering at least 90 points in each of those contests.
 
SFA has three players averaging in double figures led by reigning league player of the year Thomas Walkup. The Pasadena, Texas native is averaging 16.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. The Cardinals continue to be led by one of the top freshman in the Southland Conference in Nick Garth (14.4 ppg).
 
The LU coaching staff will be participating in Suits and Sneakers Monday evening as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer promotion. LU will be joining coaching staffs from across the country that will be participating in Suits and Sneakers the week of Jan. 25-31 to help raise awareness for the fight against cancer. In addition to the Suits and Sneakers, the LU coaches will also being wearing gold laces in honor of Lacey Holsworth, an eight-year college basketball fan who passed away because of cancer in 2014. Fans can also purchases the same "Princess Lacey's Laces" that all coaching staffs will be wearing by clicking here.
 
Monday's game is slated to tip off at 7 p.m. from the William R. Johnson Coliseum, and will be televised on ESPN3.
 
-LU CARDINALS-
LU vs. the Lumberjacks
The Cardinals trail the all-time series to Stephen F. Austin, 25-29 (.463), and the 'Jacks have found a great deal of success in the series lately. LU has dropped six straight in the series with their last win coming at the 2012 Southland Conference Tournament. The Cardinals are 8-18 (.308) all-time against SFA in Nacogdoches.

Price vs. the Lumberjacks
LU head coach Tic Price is 5-8 (.385) all-time against Stephen F. Austin in his career. He is 0-2 against the 'Jacks as the Cardinals head coach.

Home Sweet Home
The Cardinals have made the Montagne Center one of the toughest venues for opponents to play over the course of its 30-plus year history. The Cardinals have posted a 303-148 (.672) record in the Montagne Center. LU recorded a program-best 15 home victories during the 1987-88 season. LU was 12-2 (.857) at home last year, and is 7-4 (.636) this season.

Home/Away Comparisons
The Cardinals are (3-5/.375) away from Beaumont this season. The Lumberjacks have been the league's toughest team at home boasting of an 8-0 record.

On this Date in History
The date of Jan. 25 has historically been a breakeven day for the Cardinals. Big Red is 6-6 (.500) all-time on the 25th day of the month.
 
LU in January
The Cardinals are 270-244 (.525) all-time in the month of January. LU has produced above .500 records in the month 30 times in program history, which includes three perfect records (1965-66, 1968-69 and 1987-88). That winning percentage jumps when looking at home games. The Cards are 188-87 (.684) all-time in January at home.

The World according to Garth
Freshman guard Nick Garth has made the transition from high school basketball to NCAA Division I hoops look fairly easy. The Houston, Texas native scored in double figures in all but three of the team's games this season, which includes the two games he started. Garth came off the bench to score 14 points on 4-of-5 (.800) shooting from beyond the arc Saturday against the league-leading Huskies. Garth is the Southland's second-leading freshman scorer averaging 14.6 points per game (Jaylen Franklin - 15.3 ppg), but is the league's leading scorer in terms of total points (291).
 
Season High
Junior Marcus Owens recorded one of his best games as a Cardinal Saturday against Houston Baptist. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native scored a season-high 18 points on a near perfect 5-of-6 (.833) performance from the field and 4-of-5 (.800) from three-point range. He was also a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Owens closed out his stat sheet by pulling down six rebounds, dishing out two assists and recording a block.

A Nbeast on the Nglass
Freshman Josh Nzeakor is becoming a threat on the glass for head coach Tic Price. After recording 36 rebounds in the team's first 13 games, the Mesquite, Texas native has become one of the league's top rebounders over the course of the previous six games. Nzeakor has pulled down 59 boards during that stretch, including a career-high 15 in the team's come-from-behind victory over Northwestern State. Nzeakor is averaging 9.8 rebounds in the team's last six contests.

50-50
After knocking down only nine field goals in the first half against Houston Baptist, the Cardinals picked up the pace in the second half. LU connected on 14-of-27 attempts (.519) from the field, including a 7-of-10 (.700) performance from beyond the arc. It marked the ninth time this season the Cardinals have shot at least 50 percent from the field in a half.

One By Land, Two By Sea, Three By Air
The Cardinals knocked down a season-high 11 three-pointers against the Southland leading Houston Baptist Huskies, which is the most triples by LU since converting 11 against Abilene Christian last season. The Cardinals 7-of-10 (.700) second half three-point performance was their best since going a perfect 7-of-7 against Central Arkansas during the 2011-12 season.

Double-Figure Scorers
Saturday's game against Houston Baptist marked the 12th time this season the Cardinals have had at least four players reach double-figure points. The Red and White is 8-4 (.667) in those games.

Lincoln's Impact
Junior Lincoln Davis scored 16 points, recorded four steals, pulled down three rebounds and dished out an assist against the Huskies. It was the ninth time this season that Davis has scored in double figures. It was the most points Davis has scored in a game since netting 16 against Idaho State on Dec. 5.
    
Defensive Woes
The Cardinals started the season as one of the team's top defensive teams, in terms of scoring defense. Over the course of their past five games, LU has struggled to slow down opposing offenses. The Cardinals have surrendered at least 90 points to opponents in each of their past four losses (93.5 ppg). The defensive struggles haven't slowed down the Cardinals at the other end of the floor. LU continues to have one of the Southland's more lethal offensive attacks. The Cardinals enter Monday's showdown in Nacogdoches with the league's second-rated offense (78.6 ppg).
   
The Clock is TICing
LU head coach Tic Price is approaching a career milestone in wins. Price has won 193 games during his career, only seven shy of 200.

A Historical Look at Lamar University
LU has been one of the Southland's more dominant teams throughout league history. The Cards have won nearly 54 percent of their SLC games. Lamar also has the most NCAA tournament appearances of any current Southland school (6), and their five NIT berths are also tops in the league. The Cards have had 76 All-Southland Conference players, including 29 first-team selections. Six players have been named league newcomer of the year, four have earned MVP honors and there has been one freshman of the year selection. Five former Cardinals have also been named SLC tournament MVP.

Up Next...
The Cardinals will close out the month at Abilene Christian Saturday, Jan. 30. The game against the Wildcats will tip off at 4 p.m. from Moody Coliseum. LU will open the month of February with a three-game homestand beginning with Sam Houston State. The game against the Bearkats will be Monday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m.