BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University and Rice will step on the court for the 30^th time in series history Saturday when the Cardinals travel to Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston. The game pits two teams against each other who are both trying to right the ship.
 
The Cardinals are looking to put an end to a small two-game slide coming off a 14-point setback at SMU Tuesday evening. For the Owls, it's a three-game slide that has seen only one win in the team's past five games – the lone victory during that stretch came against Southland foe Northwestern State.
 
Saturday's game opens a three-game homestand for the Owls (3-5), but also serves as the third of a five-game road swing for the Cardinals.
 
The Cardinals bring with them one of the Southland's top offenses. Averaging nearly 78 points per contest, the Cardinals are led by two of the school's all-time leading scorers in Nick Garth and Josh Nzeakor. Both seniors, Garth joined the school's 1,000-point club last season and Nzeakor (13.6 ppg) is on pace to join that list over the course of the next couple games.
 
Led by three players in double figures, the Owls are averaging nearly 75 points per game. Although Rice only has three players averaging in double figures, they have seven guys averaging at least six points per game or better.
 
Through the first seven games of the season, Big Red has had a significant advantage on the glass. The Red and White enter Saturday as the Southland's top rebounding team. The Cards are pulling down nearly 42 rebounds per game. Rice is averaging nearly 36 boards per game but is getting out rebounded by an average of 1.5 per night.
 
While the Owls lead the all-time series between the two schools (18-11), Big Red has been making up ground in the series lately. LU has won five of the past seven games in the series but is coming off a nine-point loss back during the 2014-15 season. The Cardinals are 4-13 (.235) against the Owls in Houston.
 
Saturday's game is scheduled to tip off at 4:30 p.m. from Tudor Fieldhouse but is the second game of a doubleheader for Rice men's and women's basketball teams. The game will be streamed live on EPSN3, and will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 AM.