BEAUMONT, Texas – After an impressive showing at Tulsa to open the season, the Lamar University men's basketball team returns home to open a four-game homestand beginning Tuesday evening against Coastal Carolina. The game against the Chanticleers will be the first of two meetings against CCU this season as the Cardinals will repay the visit next month in Conway.
 
The Cardinals open the home portion of their schedule looking to continue the momentum from Friday's season-opening victory over the Golden Hurricane. The Cardinals jumped out to a double-digit first-half lead and withstood a late charge from Tulsa to record a 74-67 decision.
 
Despite being shorthanded, and at a significant size disadvantage to the Golden Hurricane, the Cardinals got contributions from everyone while outrebounding Tulsa, 42-28. Junior guard Nick Garth picked up where he left off last season, one of the school's all-time leading three-point shooters, Garth added to that Friday by knocking down five three-pointers and scoring a game-high 23 points, while pulling down a career-high eight rebounds.
 
In the category of "picking up where he left off," senior Colton Weisbrod recorded his 11^th career double-double in the season-opening victory. Weisbrod is the Southland's top returner player, in terms of double-doubles, and finished Friday with 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
 
Unfortunately, the path for the Cardinals doesn't get any easier in the home opener as LU will be taking on a Coastal Carolina squad that won 20 games and advanced to the finals of the College Basketball Invitational a season ago. The Chanticleers opened the season with a victory in dominant fashion defeating Piedmont International Friday evening in Conway, S.C. The Chanticleers finished the game with five players in double figures led by 22 points from Zach Cuthbertson.
 
The Chanticleers enter the season returning two of their top four scorers from last year's team that averaged nearly 73 points per game and pulled down better than 40 rebounds per game.
 
"I was very pleased with how we played against Tulsa Friday, but that game is over with and it won't help us get ready to play Coastal Carolina," said LU head coach Tic Price. "Coastal is a very talented team that made a deep postseason run last year. They return several of their top players from that team, including Jaylen Shaw who averaged nearly 15 points per game."
 
Tuesday's game will be the first meeting between the two schools in program history, but it is the first of two meetings this season.
 
The Cardinals have been nearly unstoppable in home openers throughout their history. The Cardinals have posted a 57-9 (.864) all-time record in home-opening games, including victories in their past two home openers.
 
The game against the Chanticleers opens a four-game homestand that also includes Jarvis Christian (Nov. 16), Cal State Bakersfield (Nov. 19) and will wrap up with Southern University of New Orleans Wednesday, Nov. 22.
 
Tuesday's game will tip off at 7 p.m. from the Montagne Center and can be heard live on Newstalk 560 KLVI, and seen live on ESPN3.
 
-LU CARDINALS-