BEAUMONT, Texas – For just the second time since the 2009-10 season, the Lamar University men's basketball team is off to a 2-0 start, and the Cardinals will put that 2-0 record on the line Thursday against Jarvis Christian. The game against the Bulldogs is scheduled to tip off at approximately 7:30 p.m. from the Montagne Center (Thursday's game is a scheduled doubleheader with the LU women).
 
While the Cardinals enter the contest looking to protect a two-game win streak to start the season, Jarvis Christian (1-3) comes the Golden Triangle looking to put a stop to a two-game slide after dropping consecutive games to Texas Wesleyan and the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. The Bulldogs lone victory of the season was a 21-point decision at Bacone College.
 
After Tuesday's thrilling come-from-behind victory over Coastal Carolina that saw Big Red rally from a second half double-digit deficit, the Cardinals are now in the situation of putting that game behind them and quickly focusing on Jarvis Christian. The victory marked just the second time since the 2010-11 season that the Cardinals have opened a year 2-0, and the first time since the 1997-98 campaign that LU has opened with consecutive wins over NCAA Division I programs (LU opened that year 5-0 with wins over Baylor, Northern Illinois, LSU, Cal State Sacramento and Nicholls).
 
The Cardinals overcame a slow start offensively shooting just 7-of-22 (.318) in the opening half, which included a 3-of-10 (.300) mark from three-point range, to pick up the victory. LU rebounded in the second half shooting nearly 42 percent in the final 20 minutes. Even more impressive than LU's second-half shooting was the defense it put on Coastal Carolina.
 
After the Chanticleers shot nearly 52 percent in the first half, a mark that included a 6-of-13 (.462) effort from beyond the arc, LU shut down Coastal in the second half. The Cardinals held their guests to a 9-of-27 (.333) effort in the second half and just a 2-of-7 (.286) mark from beyond the arc.
 
The Cardinals were led by senior James Harrison who came off the bench to lead all scorers with 17 points. The UT Martin transfer was a perfect 5-of-5 from three-point range, including three triples in the second half to help spark the Cards' comeback. It marked the second consecutive game where a Cardinal has converted five three-pointers in a game.
 
In addition to Harrison, Big Red also got a boost from senior Joey Frenchwood who played in his first game of the season. Frenchwood, who was held out of the Tulsa contest, came off the bench to score seven points, dish out five assists, record four steals and grab three rebounds. The most impressive part of that stat line was his four steals. The Cardinals forced CCU into 19 mistakes which they converted into 20 points on the night.  
 
The Cardinals are 2-0 all-time against Jarvis Christian, with the most recent meeting coming during the 2015-16 season (80-56) season. The only other meeting came during the 2003-04 season when LU overwhelmed the Bulldogs by a score of 115-67.
 
Thursday game can also be heard live on Newstalk 560 KLVI and seen live on ESPN3 – the network's online platform. Price's team is seeking to become the first Cardinals team to start the season 3-0 since the 2008-09 season.
 
-LU CARDINALS-