BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University Cardinals can claim outright ownership of the Southland Conference women's basketball regular-season championship for the first time in program history with a win in the regular-season finale at McNeese at 1 p.m. Saturday.
 
The Cardinals (21-6 overall, 16-1 Southland) have already secured the top seed in next week's Southland Conference Tournament and a share of the regular-season title. LU shared regular-season championships with Stephen F. Austin in 2010 and 2014.
 
The Cardinals would share the title again this season if they lose to McNeese and Stephen F. Austin defeats Sam Houston State.
 
"Our kids don't want to share the championship. They're selfish," LU coach Robin Harmony said. "They don't want to give someone else a part of the pie."
 
The Cardinals have been idle since a 75-58 win at Stephen F. Austin, as LU extended its school-record winning streak to 13 games. LU swept the season series with SFA, giving the Cardinals the tie-breaker with the Ladyjacks, and thus the top seed.
 
McNeese (12-16, 8-9) secured a spot in the SLC Tournament with a 70-64 home victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Wednesday. The Cowgirls could go into the tournament as the No. 7 seed with a win over LU combined with an Incarnate Word victory over Abilene Christian. Any other scenario leaves McNeese as the eighth seed.

"Our kids realize that McNeese is fighting for its position," Harmony said. "It's McNeese's Senior Day. We have to be ready for them."
 
Moe Kinard leads the Cardinals in scoring, averaging 16.0 points per game overall and 16.4 ppg in Southland contests. DeA'ngela Mathis averages 12.7 ppg overall and 16.2 ppg in conference competition.
 
LU's Chastadie Barrs continues to lead the nation in steals with a school- and Southland Conference-record 177 and in steals per game (6.56). Barrs, who has at least one steal in all 88 games of her career, is 14 steals shy of the NCAA single-season record of 191 set by Natalie White of Florida A&M in the 1994-95 season. Barrs also leads the Southland Conference in assists (181) and assists per game (6.7). She needs four assists to reach the 500-assist plateau for her career. She is third on the team in scoring, averaging 12.4 points per game.
 
LU's Kiandra Bowers, who averages 10.2 points per game, leads the Cardinals in rebounding, pulling down an average of 9.6 boards per game. Bowers is averaging a conference-best 11.1 rebounds per game in SLC games.
 
McNeese, which snapped a four-game skid with its win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, is led by Caitlin Davis, who averages 12.1 points and 5.8 assists per game. Dede Sheppard contributes 10.3 points per game. McNeese averages a conference-best 42.2 rebounds per game, but allows its foes to snare 41.8 rebounds per game, the second-highest total in the SLC.
 
Mercedes Rogers (7.4) and Bre'Ashlee Jones (7.2) top the McNeese rebounding list.
 
McNeese leads the overall series 43-31, but LU has won the last three meetings, including an 83-58 decision at the Montagne Center on Jan. 27, as Kinard scored a game-high 24 points.
 
UP NEXT: The Cardinals will have a net-cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. Sunday in the Montagne Center. There will be photo opportunities with the LU players and coaching staff along with the Southland Conference championship trophy. All fans are encouraged to attend the event, which is free and open to the public. LU's next game Is set for 1 p.m. March 10, when the Cardinals compete in the SLC Tournament semifinals at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. The championship game is scheduled for noon March 11.
 
ON THE AIR: Saturday's game at McNeese along with all postseason games will be broadcast on KLVI (AM 560), with Harold Mann providing the play-by-play.
 
SLC TOURNAMENT TICKETS: Ticket booklets to the Southland Conference Tournament in Katy, Texas, are now on sale at the Montagne Center ticket office. The women's tournament runs from March 8-11. LU's first game is set for 1 p.m. March 10. The men's tournament starts March 7 and ends March 10. Tickets may be purchased online by CLICKING HERE. Representatives from the LU ticket office will also be on hand during Sunday's net-cutting ceremony for those wishing to purchase tickets in advance.