BEAUMONT, Texas - BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University men's basketball team returns to action this Friday evening when they match up against Arlington Baptist at the Montagne Center. The Cardinals will step on the court looking for a 2-0 start to the season when they face the Patriots.
 
Big Red opened the season with an impressive 46-point victory Tuesday against Champion Christian. The Cardinals return to action Friday to host Arlington Baptist. The Patriots enter the showdown looking for their first victory of the season. The two-time reigning champions of the Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA) are 0-3 after dropping a 90-39 decision at Abilene Christian two nights ago.
 
Tuesday's meeting will be the third time the two schools have met on the court with LU taking both of the previous two meetings, with the last meeting coming last year in Beaumont.
 
The Cardinals step on the court Friday looking for a similar performance from its season opener. Big Red started the year running against Champion Christian. The Cardinals secured a comfortable 86-40 victory in front of a raucous crowd thanks to the Beaumont ISD Education Day.
 
The Cardinals jumped out to a 16-0 lead, behind sophomore Davion Buster's career-high 23 points, and never looked back. Buster was one of three Cardinals to finish the day in double figures. Senior T.J. Atwood added 18 points and seven rebounds in the victory, while classmate V.J. Holmes came off the bench to score 11 points and six rebounds.
 
The Cardinals shot better than 52 percent from the field following a first half that saw them convert 19-of-33 (.576) attempts. Big Red also converted 50 percent of their three-point attempts, including a 6-of-11 (.545) effort in the final 20 minutes.
 
The Cardinals defense was just as impressive holding Champion to a 14-of-55 (.255) performance from the field. Of their 14 field goals only five came from beyond the arc, and the Tigers registered only three makes in the first half. The Cardinals also forced Champion into 32 turnovers which the Red and White converted into 35 points. The Cardinals were dominant on the glass recording a 46-33 edge in rebounds led by three different players with seven rebounds.
 
Friday's game is slated to tip off at 7 p.m. from the Montagne Center. Following the contest the Cardinals will be on the road for five of their next six games including stops at Duquesne, Utah Valley, Kentucky, UAB and Texas Southern.