BEAUMONT, Texas - After beginning the Franklin era with an exhibition victory on Tuesday, Lamar University's women's basketball team will officially begin the 2019-20 campaign Friday when it travels to Stillwater, Okla., to play at Oklahoma State University. The Cards and Cowgirls will tip off at 11 a.m. on ESPN+.

Lamar at Oklahoma State - Friday, November 8 at 11 a.m. - Gallagher-Iba Arena (200 Athletic Center, Stillwater, OK 74078)

Lamar comes into Friday's game with an 0-7 mark all-time against Oklahoma State, but the two teams haven't met since the 2015-16 season. Big Red also has fared rather well in previous Power 5 games on the road with an early tip. Last season Lamar headed into College Station, Texas, as an underdog and upset the then 17th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, 74-68.

Oklahoma State was 14-16 overall and 5-13 in conference play a year ago, falling in the first round of the Big 12 tournament to the University of Kansas, when current Lamar head coach Aqua Franklin was the associate head coach of the Jayhawks. The only team Ok State played from the Southland last season was Houston Baptist, whom the Cowgirls beat 77-44. For comparison, LU beat HBU 63-50 at home and 97-49 in Houston last year.

The Cowgirls have already opened their 2019-20 campaign with a defensively-focused 62-47 win over the University of Idaho. Lamar will also play Idaho later this month in the Shareslo Holiday Beach Classic in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Jim Littell is in his ninth season as the head coach of Oklahoma State, and he's 162-95 in that time. A 41-year veteran of the industry, Littell has accrued 790 wins as a head coach and over 100 more as an assistant.

Mirroring Lamar, OSU saw considerable turnover from the 2018-19 season to this season. A full five Cowgirls made their OSU debut against Idaho, including Micah Dennis, Natasha Mack, Bigue Sarr, Lauren Fields, and Sara Rodrigues. Mack led the Cowgirls with 11 points and 14 rebounds, and Vivian Gray, a Naismith Player of the Year watchlist member, scored 10 points while recording two steals, two assists, and three rebounds. Fields also scored in double digits (10 points) in her debut.

The Last Time Out - Lamar vs. East Texas Baptist University (Exhibition) - Tuesday, November 5 at 6 p.m.

Senior Amber Vidal scored a game-high 18 points in her first game as Lamar University defeated East Texas Baptist, 64-47, Tuesday evening at the Montagne Center. Vidal was one of three Cardinals to finish the night double figures as Big Red picked up the exhibition victory – the first game for LU head coach Aqua Franklin.
 
The Cardinals overcame a slow start offensively but closed the game strong converting 9-of-20 (.450) attempts in the fourth quarter. It was the exact opposite scenario for ETBU who opened the game shooting nearly 44 percent from the field but struggled in the final 10 minutes recording just four field goals.