BEAUMONT, Texas – Winners in seven of their last eight games, the Lamar University men's basketball team will look for a season-best fifth-straight win Monday when New Orleans comes to town. The Cardinals (9-4/1-0 Southland) got league play out to a strong start Saturday with a 79-67 decision in Thibodaux, La. It marked the second consecutive season that LU has started SLC play with a victory.
 
Monday's game – which is the second game of a men's and women's doubleheader – has the Cardinals squaring off against a New Orleans team which is 4-7 on the season. Monday will serve as the Southland opener for the Privateers, who have split their last four decisions and are coming off a blowout win over Blue Mountain College.
 
The Red and White bring the Southland's strongest offense into the game averaging nearly 80 points per game (79.7 ppg), but are coming off a conference opener that saw the defense take center stage. LU held Nicholls to just five field goals in the opening 20 minutes Saturday. In addition to the minimal production from the Colonels, LU also forced Nicholls into 14 turnovers, outrebounded Nicholls by 12, recorded eight steals and blocked four shots.
 
The Privateers are averaging nearly 74 points per game, while shooting 41.6 percent from the field. UNO leads the Southland Conference shooting better than 37 percent from three-point range. The Privateers have three players in double figures led by Christavious Gill's 15.1 points per game. The Cardinals will answer with five players averaging at least eight points per game led by freshman guard Nick Garth's 13.5 points per game.
 
Monday's game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. – following the women's game against UNO – from the Montagne Center. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

LU Men's Basketball Game Notes

LU vs. the Privateers
The Cardinals are 7-25 (.219) all-time against New Orleans, which includes a 4-12 (.250) mark in Beaumont. The Cardinals have dropped five of the last six meetings between the two schools with the lone victory during that stretch coming in Beaumont during the 2013-14 season. That win over UNO was head coach Tic Price's first win with the Cardinals.
 
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 302-145 (.674) 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 6-1 (.857) this season.

LU in Southland Home Openers
The Cardinals are 31-10 (.756) all-time in Southland Conference home-opening games. Last year's 13-point victory over Nicholls ended a two-game skid for the Cards in SLC home-openers.

Home/Away Comparisons
The Cardinals are 6-1 (.857) in the Montagne Center this season. The Privateers have had their struggles away from New Orleans in non-conference play. UNO is 1-7 (.125) away from Lakefront Arena this season.

On this Date in History
The Cardinals are 12-9 (.571) all-time in games played on Jan. 4.

LU in January
The Cardinals are 269-239 (.530) 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 187-84 (.690) all-time in January at home.

Fab Freshman
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 the team's first 10 games before being inserted into the starting lineup. Oddly, Garth didn't get to double digits in either start. He was moved back to a reserve role Saturday at Nicholls and came off the bench to lead the team with 17 points. He also pulled down seven rebounds. Garth is currently ranked 13th in the Southland averaging 13.5 points per game.

Dominating Depth
The Cardinals had three players score at least 10 points in Saturday's Southland-opening victory at Nicholls, and all three came off the bench. Led by Nick Garth's 17 points, sophomore Kevin Booze added 12, while senior Dontavious Sears chipped in 10. The LU reserves outscored Nicholls' bench, 48-13, in Saturday's victory. It marked the 11th time this season that Big Red's bench has outscored its opponents.
  
Keeping up with the Jones'
Senior Quan Jones got his first start of the season Saturday in Thibodaux, La. He rewarded head coac Tic Price's decision to put him in the starting lineup by scoring seven points and pulling down a reobund. He also recorded two steals against the Colonels.

Career High
The victory over Howard Payne marked the second-straight game where LU had four players in double figures. Freshman Dorian Chatman led the LU offensive attack with a career-high 23 points. He was 5-of-10 (.500) from the field and a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line. Chatman's 12 makes at the free throw line were one shy of ranking among the school's all-time top-12 single-game performances. Chatman followed that up by tying a career high with nine rebounds at Nicholls.

More Career Highs
It seems like the Cardinals are having a different player come off the bench to set a career high in points almost every night. In the victory over Texas Lutheran, it was freshman Boaz Williams who took center stage. The Houston, Texas native, finished the night with 11 points on 5-of-7 (.714) shooting.

One By Land, Two By Sea, Three By Air
The Red and White netted a season-high 10 three-pointers in the victory over Howard Payne. The 10 triples are the most for the Cardinals since knocking down 11 in a victory over Abilene Christian last season.

Being Offensive
The Cardinals lead the Southland Conference in scoring offense averaging just under 80 points per game (79.8 ppg). The Cardinals scored 97 points in the win over Howard Payne which is the seventh time this season LU has scored at least 80 points in a game.

50/50
The Cardinals were 17-of-34 (.500) from the field in second half at Nicholls. It marks the seventh time this season that LU has shot at least 50 percent from the field. Big Red shot a season-best 61.3 percent in the second half at Liberty.

The Defense Doesn't Rest
The Cardinals held Nicholls to five first-half field goals. It marks the sixth time this season LU has held an opponent to fewer than 10 field goals in half. The Cardinals held Liberty to a season-low three field goals in the first half.

The Clock is TICing
LU head coach Tic Price is approaching a career milestone in wins. Price has won 192 games during his career, only eight 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 be back in action Saturday, Jan. 9, when they travel to Conway, Ark., for a showdown with Central Arkansas. The game against the Bears is slated to tip off at 4 p.m. LU hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi two nights later. The Cards and Islanders will tip off at 7 p.m. from the Montagne Center. 

-LU CARDINALS-