BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University Cardinals can claim a spot in next month's Southland Conference Women's Basketball Tournament with a win over the host Sam Houston State Bearkats on Saturday. The 3 p.m. game will be streamed live on ESPN3 and broadcast on KLVI (AM 560).
 
The Cardinals (16-6 overall, 11-1 Southland) bring an eight-game winning streak into Saturday's matchup with the Bearkats (4-17, 1-11). LU is a half-game ahead of Stephen F. Austin for first place in the conference. The Cardinals would also clinch a berth with a Southeastern Louisiana loss to McNeese.
 
LU leads the Southland Conference in offense, averaging 79 points per game this season. The Cards average an SLC-best 76.4 ppg in conference games. LU has four players averaging in double figures in the scoring column, led by Moe Kinard, who averages 16.7 ppg overall and 17.7 ppg in SLC contests. Chastadie Barrs averages 12.3 ppg overall and 11.4 ppg in SLC play. DeA'ngela Mathis is averaging 11.6 overall and 15.8 vs. conference foes. Kiandra Bowers averages 10 points overall and 11 points when it comes to conference competition.
 
Barrs, who leads the nation in steals, averaging 6.42 per game, has 141 steals this season, one shy of the Southland Conference record of 142 she set last season. The junior has at least one steal in all 83 games of her career. Bowers also leads the Southland Conference in assists, averaging 6.2 per game. Her 406 career assists are also a conference record.
 
Bowers, who averages a conference-best 11.6 rebounds in SLC play, enters Saturday in fifth place on LU's all-time rebounding chart with 853 boards. Travesa Gant is fourth with 856, while Uirannah Jackson is third with 863.
 
The Bearkats, who are on a four-game skid, are 3-9 on their home court at the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum. Sam Houston State is looking for its first conference home win, having dropped its first five SLC contests at home. Jenniffer Oramas leads Sam Houston State in scoring, averaging 10.9 points per contest.
 
LU leads the overall series 34-27. This is the second meeting of the season between the teams. The Cardinals were 91-44 winners over the Bearkats at the Montagne Center on Jan. 20 as Bowers and Barrs had double-doubles. Bowers had 15 points and a career-high 22 rebounds, while Barrs had 21 points and 11 steals. Kinard also had 21 points for LU. The last time the squads met at Sam Houston State was Jan. 18, 2017, with LU claiming a 70-44 win behind 19 points and 10 rebounds from Bowers.
 
WHAT'S NEXT: The Cardinals are at Incarnate Word at 6 p.m. Wednesday before returning to Beaumont to close out the home portion of the schedule by hosting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 2 p.m. Feb. 17 and Houston Baptist at 7 p.m. Feb. 21.
 
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.