BEAUMONT, Texas – After a short two-game homestand to start the season, the Lamar University basketball team is headed to Pittsburgh, Pa., to take on Duquesne. A familiar opponent for the Cardinals, LU will be making its second trip to Duquesne in the past three years.
 
The Cardinals (2-0) were impressive in their opening two contests but head coach Tic Price's young crew will now step up in competition to face Duquesne. The Dukes are looking to improve upon a 19-win season last year and are off to a positive start with a 94-67 victory over Princeton. Duquesne trailed by five at halftime but posted a strong second half outscoring the Tigers 57-25 in the final 20 minutes for the win.
 
The series history consists of only one previous meeting, and that showdown came during the 2017-18 season. That year the Cardinals held a lead late in what was a 40-minute back-and-forth slugfest that saw Duquesne sink a dagger at the buzzer for a one-point victory.
 
In the Cardinals opening two games – a stretch that has LU open the season with three of four at home  – Big Red has been able to rely on more than just the usual suspects. While senior T.J. Atwood and sophomore Davion Buster have picked up where they left off last season, it has been a crop of newcomers who have been leading the way for the Big Red.
 
Freshman Corey Nickerson came off the bench to score a career-high 23 points on a near perfect 10-of-12 (.833) shooting performance against Arlington Baptist. He also pulled down 11 rebounds to record his first career double-double. In similar fashion classmate David Muoka recorded his first career start and scored 10 points, while Ayaan Sohail came off the bench to net 12 points.
 
Tuesday's game will tip off at 7 p.m. (6 p.m. Beaumont time) from LaRoche University and can be watched live on ESPN+.