SAN ANTONIO – Moe Kinard scored a game-high 24 points, but the Lamar University Cardinals fell to the North Dakota Fighting Hawks in the opening game of the UTSA Thanksgiving Classic on Friday afternoon.
 
The Cardinals (3-3) led by as many as 15 points early in the third quarter before going cold from the field. LU shot just 24.4 percent (10-of-41) from the floor after intermission, including 18.2 percent (4-of-22) from 3-point range. LU connected on 29.9 percent of its shots (23-of-77) for the game, and hit just 22 percent of its 3-pointers (9-of-41). North Dakota, by comparison shot 46.2 percent (24-of-52) from the field, including 50 percent (8-of-16) from downtown. LU's 41 3-point attempts set a school single-game record.
 
"We blew our 15-point lead and missed our opportunities. We missed point-blank put-backs and layups and didn't crash the offensive boards," LU coach Robin Harmony said. "We gave them second shots. You can't do that to a good team that shoots well."
 
LU was outrebounded 55-33, but stayed in the game thanks to a plus-22 edge in turnovers. The Cardinals committed a season-low eight turnovers, while the Fighting Hawks had 30 turnovers.
 
"We shot the ball 77 times, which is 25 more times than they did, but we're just not putting the ball down," Harmony said. "Some of the ones we missed were back-breakers."
 
The Cardinals tied the game at 70 with 32 seconds remaining in regulation on a layup by Kyla Green. North Dakota regained the lead at 72-70 on a layup by Lexi Klabo, but Chastadie Barrs missed a layup that would have tied the game. Fallyn Freije hit one of two free throws to push the North Dakota lead to 73-70, but LU's desperation 3-point heave at the buzzer fell short.
 
Barrs had 14 points for the Cardinals to go along with six assists and seven steals. Barrs now has at least one steal in all 67 career games. Ashlan Miles added 13 points for LU.
 
North Dakota (2-2) had all five starters score in double figures, led by Jill Morton with 18 points. Freije finished with a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds.
 
The Cardinals won't have much time to dwell on the loss, as they face Northern Illinois at noon Saturday on the final day of the tourney.
 
"I guess it's a good thing that we play at noon and won't have to suffer long," Harmony said. "We can get back out here and do it on the defensive end. Our kids have to be tired of having a big lead and losing the game. It's a terrible feeling."
 
Following this weekend's tournament, the Cardinals travel to Stockton, California, to meet the Pacific Tigers on Nov. 30. LU's next home game is 7 p.m. Dec. 4 vs. Schreiner.
 
TICKETS: For season tickets and individual-game tickets, please call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE. The Montagne Center ticket office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. It reopens one hour prior to tipoff on weeknights and weekends. LU students receive free admission to home games with their Cardinal One card, while Junior Cardinal Club members are admitted for free when they present their membership badge.