BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University Cardinals look remain in the thick of the hunt for the Southland Conference regular-season title when they visit the New Orleans Privateers at 7 p.m. Thursday in an SLC women's basketball game.
 
The Cardinals (14-5 overall, 7-2 Southland) enter the week a half-game out of first place, just behind SLC leaders Stephen F. Austin and Abilene Christian, who are 7-1 in league play, and Central Arkansas, which is 8-2. New Orleans (10-9, 5-4) is tied for fifth place with McNeese, 2½ games behind the leaders and two games behind LU.
 
Abilene Christian is at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Wednesday, while Stephen F. Austin visits Sam Houston State on Thursday.
 
LU has a 20-15 lead in the overall series, including a 5-0 mark against New Orleans since the Privateers joined the Southland Conference in the 2013-14 season. This is the second meeting of the season between the teams. The Cardinals were 73-42 winners over the Privateers at the Montagne Center on Jan. 5 behind a career-high 19 points from Ashlan Miles.
 
The Cardinals, who come in off two straight home wins, are 3-5 on the road this season, including a 2-2 mark in conference games away from the Montagne Center. Sophomore guard Moe Kinard, the reigning Southland Conference Player of the Week for her efforts in wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Northwestern State, leads LU in scoring at 16.6 points per game. Kinard was the first Cardinal to earn SLC Player of the Week honors this season.
 
Senior post player Kiandra Bowers, who ranks 24^th in the nation with 10 double-doubles this season, averages 13.8 points per game to go along with a team-best 10.3 rebounds per outing which is 22^nd in the nation. Bowers leads the country in offensive rebounding, pulling down an average of 5.95 offensive boards per game.
 
Sophomore forward Kiara Desamours, who has 57 points in her last four games, is averaging 10.4 points per game this season for LU, and is second in rebounds at 5.9 per game.
 
LU sophomore guard Chastadie Barrs continues to lead the nation in steals at 4.42 per game. Barrs has at least one steal in all 50 games in her career. Bowers is 25^th in the nation in steals at 2.89 per game. As a team, the Cardinals average a national-best 14.1 steals per game. LU also leads the country in turnovers forced (25.21 per game) and turnover margin (plus 9.53).
 
The Privateers are led by junior guard Randi Brown, who tops the SLC in scoring at 20.7 points per game. Brown is averaging 21.9 points per outing in SLC games, also tops in the conference. Brown had a season-low five points in Saturday's 88-61 loss at Stephen F. Austin.
 
COMING ATTRACTIONS: The Cardinals return home immediately following Thursday's game to host McNeese at 2 p.m. Saturday. The Cards remain in Beaumont to host Sam Houston State at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 9. Both games are the opening contests of a hoops doubleheader, with the LU men's team playing in the nightcap.
 
3-POINT CHALLENGE: The Cardinals have 12 3-pointers since the Coaches vs. Cancer Challenge got under way. Fans are encouraged to make a pledge based on every 3-pointer the team makes through the end of the season, with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. To make a pledge, log on to  https://pledgeit.org/cvc-lamar-women. To follow the national 3-Point Challenge competition, visit www.3PointChallenge.org.
 
BOX OFFICE: Tickets for all LU home games are available by calling 409-880-1715, or by CLICKING HERE. The Montagne Center ticket office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and one hour prior to tipoff on weekends.