BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University knocked down 17 three-pointers and got 28 points from senior Nick Garth and 20 off the bench from freshman Davion Buster to defeat Houston Baptist, 110-75, Wednesday evening in the Montagne Center. The victory – LU's sixth straight – locked up a berth in the Southland Conference Championships next month in Katy, Texas.
 
In addition to locking up a spot in the conference tournament, LU also secured its third consecutive winning season. It marks the first time since the 1996-97 through 1998-99 seasons that Big Red has recorded three consecutive winning records.
 
"We beat a good HBU team tonight," said LU head coach Tice Price. "We needed to come out with some energy and I think our guys made a statement. We did a good job of being physical with them and really shared the ball offensively. I couldn't be more proud of these guys."
 
The Cardinals came out on fire and never cooled off. The Red and White opened the game shooting 51 percent in the opening 20 minutes and bettered that in the second half with a 20-of-30 (.667) performance to finish the night 41-of-71 (.577) from the field. The Cardinals outscored their opponents by 35 points despite the fact that HBU went to the free throw line 14 more times than LU.
 
Even more impressive than their performance from the field was their effort from long range. The Cardinals converted 17-of-27 (.630) three-point attempts, which ties for the third-best single-game performance in program history. Big Red also hit 11-of-12 (.917) free throws for good measure.
 
Garth and Buster were joined in double figures by juniors Jordan Hunter, Christian Barrett and Edwin Jeudy. Hunter struck for 18 points while pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out seven assists, while Barrett recorded another double-double (11 points and 13 rebounds). Jeudy added 10 points on 4-of-5 (.800) shooting.
 
"Nick Garth, Jordan Hunter and Davion Buster really shot the ball well tonight," said Price. "I think our guys felt like they had something to prove. We lost at their place and I think our guys took that loss personally."
 
The Cardinals won the battle on the glass outrebounding HBU, 44-28, including 13 offensive rebounds which the Cards converted into a 20-5 advantage in second chance points.
 
The Huskies also got out to a strong start in the opening half shooting 43 percent and scoring 41 points, but they had no answer for LU which went into the locker room with 58 points at half time. The Huskies cooled off significantly in the final 20 minutes of action shooting 24-of-62 (.387) from the field including nine three-pointers. HBU also turned the ball over 13 times which Big Red cashed in for 19 points. The Huskies only had two players in double figures, led by Stephen O'Suji's 20 points.
 
The Cards led by just four midway through the opening half before rattling off a 19-9 run, sparked by a Garth jumper in the paint, to build a 14-point advantage. The Cardinals pushed that advantage to 17 heading into the locker room following a Garth three just before half.
 
After HBU trimmed the deficit to 13 early in the second half, the Cardinals went on another run to push the lead back to 21 and the Huskies never threatened after that.
 
With a spot in Katy secured, the Cardinals can now turn their attention toward improving their seed at the tournament. LU moves to within a half game of Southeastern Louisiana for the No. 4 seed and a first-round bye in the tournament. The Lions close the regular season with two of three at home. Tickets for the Southland Conference tournament and the remaining home games can be purchased by contacting the LU Ticket Office at (409) 880-1715.
 
The Cardinals will enter Saturday's contest with a 2.5 games lead over current No. 6 Stephen F. Austin, LU's next opponent. The Cardinals will host SFA Saturday in the Montagne Center. The game against the Lumberjacks will tip off at 4:30 p.m. from the Montagne Center.
 
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