BEAUMONT, Texas – Benjamin Franklin once said: "There are only two certainties in life: death and taxes." Had Franklin been alive today, he may have added a third certainty: Chastadie Barrs getting a steal.
 
Barrs, the sophomore starting point guard for the Lamar University Cardinals, has at least one steal in all 60 games of her young career. The two-time Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year, leads the nation in steals with an average of 4.79 per game, almost a full steal per game ahead of her nearest competitor. Her 139 steals this season are LU and Southland Conference records.
 
"I take pride in my defense," Barrs said. "It's something I take pride in. We're a good defensive team, and we keep working at it to get better."
 
Barrs will get a chance to add to her impressive numbers at 7 p.m. Thursday, when the Cardinals (22-7) travel down I-10 to Houston to meet the Rice Owls (18-13) in the first round of the Women's Basketball Invitational.
 
It will be LU's fifth trip to a national postseason tournament in the past eight seasons, but it will be the first for Barrs and many of the young Cardinals. Of the 15 players on this season's roster, only senior post player Kiandra Bowers was on the LU roster when the Cardinals faced Southern Miss in the 2014 WNIT.
 
"We have a lot of young players," LU coach Robin Harmony said in referring to the five freshmen and five sophomores on the roster. "This will definitely be a good experience for them, getting to understand everything that is involved in play in a national tournament."
 
The Cardinals come into the postseason leading the nation in steals (414), steals per game (14.3), turnover margin (8.90) and turnovers forced (24.38). LU is second in the nation in offensive rebounding, averaging 19.07 per game. Individually, Bowers leads the nation in offensive rebounds at 5.93 per game. Bowers is 21^st in the nation in rebounding at 10.5 per game.
 
Barrs is also a catalyst for the LU offense, leading the conference in assists at 6.6 per game, good for 14^th nationally.
 
The Cardinals will start one senior (Bowers), three sophomores (Barrs, guard Moe Kinard and forward Kiara Desamours) along with freshman guard Ashlan Miles against Rice. Barrs, Bowers and Kinard were all second-team All-Conference this season, with Kinard, who came to LU from the University of Houston, being named the conference's Newcomer of the Year. Kinard leads LU in scoring at 15.4 points per game. Bowers averages 14.2 points per outing.
 
The Cards will face a Rice team whose 18 wins are the most in six seasons. The Owls advanced to the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Tournament for the second straight season.
 
The Owls have three players averaging in double figures in scoring: Nicole Iademarco (12.3), Jasmine Goodwine (12.3) and Shani Riley (11.9).
 
The winner of Thursday's game would play a second-round game this weekend, taking on the winner of Thursday's first-round game that sees Stephen F. Austin at UTRGV. If the Cardinals win Thursday, they would host Stephen F. Austin, but would have to travel to UTRGV. The semifinals are scheduled for March 22 or 23, with the championship game to be played March 25 or 26. All games are played at on-campus sites.
 
LU holds a 22-8 lead in the all-time series with Rice, but the Owls have won the last three meetings.
 
This is LU's second appearance in the WBI, which started in 2010. LU appeared in the 2013 WBI, defeating Presbyterian in the first round before losing to South Dakota.