BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University Cardinals ran their home-court winning streak to 26 games with a methodical 71-44 victory over the Northwestern State Lady Demons in a Southland Conference women's basketball game at the Montagne Center on Wednesday night.
 
The Cards (16­-6 overall, 11-1 Southland) ran their overall winning streak to eight games as they reduced their magic number for clinching a berth in next month's Southland Conference Tournament to one. LU remained a half-game ahead of Stephen F. Austin for first place in the conference, as SFA defeated visiting McNeese 73-58 on Wednesday night.
 
The Cardinals had three players score in double figures, led by Moe Kinard, who had a game-high 21 points. DeA'ngela Mathis scored 13 points in the win, while Jadyn Pimentel finished with 11 points. Kiandra Bowers just missed a double-double, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds.
 
The Cardinals started slow, making just two of their first 12 shots, trailing 8-6 with 4:44 remaining in the first quarter before closing out the quarter on a 12-4 run to lead 18-12 after the first period.
 
"I think we played down to their level," LU coach Robin Harmony said. "We're not happy with our performance, but we're glad we got the win."
 
Northwestern State (7-16, 2-10) never got any closer the rest of the way. The Cardinals led 37-25 at halftime, boosting that lead to 55-35 after three quarters.
 
The Cardinals were 25-of-65 (38.5 percent) from the field, including 32 percent (8-of-25) from 3-point range. The Cardinals turned the ball over 18 times, but took advantage of 29 Northwestern State turnovers for a 29-6 edge in points off turnovers. The Cardinals also blocked seven shots.
 
"We turned the ball over too much," Harmony said. "We were lackadaisical, but we had some big-time blocks that energized us."
 
LU's Chastadie Barrs had nine assists and five steals to go along with her five points. Barrs, who now has a steal in all 83 career games, has 141 steals this season, one shy of the Southland Conference record of 142 she set last year. Her 410 career steals are also a conference record.
 
LU outrebounded Northwestern State 39-29, including a 20-9 edge on the offensive glass, leading to a 21-4 advantage in second-chance points. LU also shot a season-best 86.7 percent (13-of-15) from the charity stripe.
 
Leah Barnes had 14 points for Northwestern State.
 
The Cardinals hit the road for two games, starting with a contest at Sam Houston State at 3 p.m. Saturday. LU can clinch a tournament berth with a win or a Southeastern Louisiana loss at McNeese. LU is at Incarnate Word at 6 p.m. Feb. 14 before closing out the home portion of the schedule with games against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in Feb. 17 and Houston Baptist on Feb. 21.
 
The 26-game winning streak at the Montagne Center is the second-longest active streak in the nation, trailing only UConn's 74 straight wins.
 
"We want to make sure we win at home and protect the nest," Harmony said. "When anybody comes in here, they know we have all these wins at home. They want to be the team that spoils that. A team like Northwestern State, it would make their season if they beat us at home. We do have a target on our back. We can't take anybody lightly."
 
TICKETS: For tickets for LU home games, 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.