BEAUMONT, Texas – After a tough non-conference stretch that saw the Lamar University Cardinals play five of six away from Beaumont, including a three-week stretch away from the Montagne Center, LU returns home to open Southland Conference play against Southeastern Louisiana. Despite several games away from home, and having to overcome some injuries, the youthful Cardinals managed to post a 6-5 (.545) overall record in non-conference action.
 
Winners in two of the past three, the Red and White will look to get back in the win column after a disappointing setback at TCU Saturday to close the non-conference portion of their schedule. History should be on the Cardinals side as the open up a new league schedule. The Cardinals are 29-16 (.644) all-time in SLC opening games. Big Red has won four of the past five conference openers, and nine of the past 13 – the lone loss during that stretch was an overtime setback last season at Houston Baptist.
 
Southeastern enters the week with a 3-6 (.250) overall record and has lost four of their past five games but are coming off a five-point victory over Southern University (New Orleans). The Lions head to Beaumont looking to for their first road victory of the season. The Cardinals will be looking to keep that trend alive as they look to protect their perfect 5-0 home record to this point in the season.
 
The Cardinals are averaging better than 70 points per game on the season, and outscoring opponents by six points per game, but those numbers were skewed following Saturday's 79-50 loss at TCU. Led by senior T.J. Atwood (15.5 ppg) and sophomore Davion Buster (15.1 ppg), the Cardinals have the ability to put points up in bunches due in large part to the production of junior Avery Sullivan.
 
The Pflugerville, Texas, native has really come on the scene this year averaging nearly 11 points per game and is ranked among the Southland leaders pulling down 9.9 rebounds per game. He leads the team with five double-doubles, including a double-double in each of the past two games.
 
Led by Ty Brewer's 18 points per contest, the Lions are scoring 69.2 points per night on the season. SLU is being outscored by seven points per night, but that is due in large part to how tough their non-conference schedule is. Brewer is one of three Lions averaging in double figures, and one of four players averaging nine points per game or better.
 
Defensively, the Lions have made things very tough on opponents this season. SLU has forced its opponents into an average of 19 turnovers per game.
 
The Cardinals lead the all-time series by a narrow margin, 26-24 (.520), but Southeastern Louisiana has had the upper hand lately winning three straight and four of the past six meetings – a mark that includes a seven-point setback in Hammond last season. The Cardinals are 16-9 (.640) all-time against the Lions in Beaumont, but the Lions recorded a five-point victory in their last trip to the Montagne Center (2018).
 
Wednesday's game is slated to begin at 7 p.m. from the Montagne Center. It will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 KLVI as well as streamed live on ESPN+