BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University Cardinals (10-13/2-9 Southland) will look to put an end to a six-game slide Monday when they step on the court for a rematch with Abilene Christian. The Cardinals have fallen to 13^th in the conference standings after having dropped nine of their last 10 games – with the lone win during that stretch being a four-point decision over Northwestern State.
 
Abilene Christian enters Monday's contest with an identical 10-13 (.435) overall record, but is sixth in the league standing with a 5-5 (.500) conference mark. The Wildcats have won two of their last three outings, including a nine-point victory over the Cardinals in Abilene, but ACU is coming off a 21-point loss at Southeastern Louisiana.
 
For the Cardinals, time is becoming a factor if they want to battle their way back into one of the top eight spots for the Southland Conference Championships in Katy, Texas next month. LU is currently just a game back of Nicholls (in the loss column) in the league standings and holds the tiebreak over the Colonels. Only two games separates the bottom five teams in the standings with seven games left to play.
 
The Wildcats, who are ineligible for postseason play due to NCAA rules for programs transitioning from Division II to Division I status, are led by the league's top freshman scorer in Jaylen Franklin. Coming off a 27-point outing against the Cards in the first meeting between the two teams, Franklin is sixth in the league averaging 15.8 points per game.
 
LU freshman Nick Garth continues to lead a Cardinals offense that ranks fourth in the league averaging better than 76 points per game. Garth (14.4 ppg) will look to get the Cardinals out to a quick start in consecutive games, after jumping out to a double-digit lead against Incarnate Word Saturday. Plagued by slow starts all season, the Cardinals were able to turn things around Saturday jumping out to an 11-0 lead. LU fell behind by double digits to ACU in the first half of the meeting in Abilene.
 
Monday's game will tip off at 7 p.m. from the Montagne Center and can be viewed on ESPN3. Fans will also be introduced to the 2016 LU baseball team during the contest. The 2016 season marks the final season for legendary head coach Jim Gilligan.
  
LU vs. Abilene Christian
Game Notes
Montagne Center – Beaumont, Texas
Monday, Feb. 8, 2016
 
LU vs. the Wildcats
The Cardinals are 14-12 (.538) all-time against Abilene Christian, but had a three-game win streak in the series snapped last week. The Cardinals are 8-4 (.667) all-time against ACU in Beaumont.
 
Price vs. the Wildcats
LU head coach Tic Price has coached against Abilene Christian three times in his career, posting a 2-1 (.667) record. The lone setback against ACU came earlier this season.
 
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 303-150 (.669) 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 7-6 (.538) this season.
 
Cardinals on ESPN3
Lamar University announced an agreement with ESPN3 last month to have all of their home games televised by the nationwide leader in sports. ESPN3 is the network's online platform.  The Cards are 1-5 (.167) at home since announcing the agreement with ESPN3.
 
Home/Away Comparisons
The Cardinals are (7-6/.538) in the Montagne Center this season. Although near perfect at home, the Wildcats have been a completely different team on the road in 2015-16. ACU is 1-10 (.091) away from Moody Coliseum.
 
Three-Game Homestands
Monday's game against Abilene Christian closes out the third of three three-game homestands for the Cardinals this season. The Cardinals are 5-3 (.625) in games played during those homestands, and have won five of the last seven heading into the contest with Abilene Christian.
 
On this Date in History
Big Red is 8-11 (.421) all-time on the eighth day of February.
 
Lamar in February
The LU Cardinals are 265-259 (.506) all-time in the month of February. Big Red has produced above .500 records in the month 27 times in program history, which includes four perfect months (1960-61, 1963-64, 1983-84 and 2007-08). The Cardinals recorded a school record 10 wins in the month of February twice (1960-61 and 1983-84). The February record jumps to 173-95 (.646) in home games. LU is 91-180 (.336) during February road games.
 
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 his first two starts. He is the Southland's second-leading freshman scorer averaging 14.4 points per game (Jaylen Franklin - 15.8 ppg).
 
Scoring Punch off the Bench
Although he got the start in the team's past two games, freshman Nick Garth has a chance to accomplish something that hasn't happened at LU in several years. The Houston, Texas product has come off the bench in all but four games this season, and leads the team in scoring. If he continues to the lead the team in scoring, he would be just the third player in program history to be a reserve and lead the Cards in scoring, and he would be just the second freshman to accomplish the feat. The other two players are Joey Ray (2000-01 - six starts) and Keith Veney (1992-93 - 13 starts).
 
Putting the 'Points' in Point Guard
Entering last Monday's game against Sam Houston State, senior guard Quan Jones had recorded just one double-digit scoring night this season. Entering Monday's showdown against Abilene Christian he has recorded back-to-back double-figure scoring performances. Jones scored 10 points against Sam Houston State and followed that up with a 13-point outing against Incarnate Word. Jones is averaging 11.5 point per game in the team's last two outings.
 
Career High
Port Arthur freshman Dorian Chatman had scored just 23 points in his previous seven games, but appears to have broken out of his slump over the course of LU's past four. Chatman followed up his 10-point outing at Stephen F. Austin by netting 24 points on 8-of-11 (.727) shooting at Abilene Christian. The 24-point outing set a new career high for Chatman, whose previous career high was 23 set against Howard Payne. He added a 12-point effort against Sam Houston State. He is averaging 13.5 points in the team's past four games.
 
Second Half Strength
The Cardinals first-half struggles have been well documented this season but it is a completely different story in the second half. The Cardinals have outscored their opponents in the second half 14 times this season. In the nine games where LU didn't outscore its opponent in the final 20 minutes, the point differential in the second half was less than 10 points in every game but one.
 
Windex Award
Freshman Josh Nzeakor didn't record a double-figure rebound effort for the first 13 games of the season, but after his 13 rebounds against Incarnate Word Saturday night the Mesquite, Texas native now has four double-digit rebound games in the past nine outings.
 
The Price is Right
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 througout league history. The Cards have won nearly 54 percent of their SLC games. The Cardinals also have 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 palyers have been named 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 return to action Monday, Feb. 15, to take on Houston Baptist. The game against the Huskies will tip off at 7 p.m. from Sharp Gym.