BEAUMONT, Texas – Postseason basketball is here, and the Lamar University women's basketball team plays its first game of the Southland Conference Tournament on Saturday, March 16 at 1 p.m. from the Merrell Center.
 
Lamar is the top seed in the SLC Tournament and earned a double-bye. LU plays in the SLC Semifinals on Saturday.
 
The Cardinals play the winner of the second-round matchup of fourth seed Abilene Christian and eighth seed Central Arkansas. Abilene Christian and Central Arkansas face off at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 15.

THIS WEEK – CENTRAL ARKANSAS or ABILENE CHRISTIAN, March 16 at 1 p.m. (Merrell Center)
CENTRAL ARKANSAS (8 Seed)
Series Record: 11-8 (20th Meeting)
Last Meeting: Jan. 12, 2019 (57-37, Lamar)
 
Central Arkansas comes into the SLC Second Round with a record of 12-17 on the season. Central Arkansas knocked off fifth seed Sam Houston State to open first round action of the SLC Tournament. The Sugar Bears won 76-71 and were led by Kamry Orr who scored 29 points, collected 13 rebounds and had seven steals. The win for UCA snapped a five-game losing streak.
 
Kamry Orr leads the Sugar Bears in scoring this season as she is averaging 16.1 points per game. She is shooting 37 percent on the season and is averaging the most minute per game (30.2) on the team. Besides scoring, Orr leads the team in rebounding averaging 4.7 rebounds per game.
 
As a team, the Sugar Bears are scoring 61.8 points per game. They scored a season-high 91 points against Crowley's Ridge on Dec. 1. They are shooting 39.0 percent from the floor and 30.4 percent on threes this season. Opponents are scoring 59.1 points and are shooting 40.1 percent against the Sugar Bears. The 56.2 is the second lowest points allowed in the Southland Conference.
 
Earlier this season the Cardinals defeated the Sugar Bears, 57-37, at the Montagne Center. After being tied at halftime, the Cardinals of Lamar University shot 52 percent in the second half and 72 percent in the third quarter pulling away from Central Arkansas for a 57-37 victory. Moe Kinard led a trio of LU players in double-figures as she scored 18 points. Chastadie Barrs recorded her second straight triple-double (10 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) in the contest. This is her eighth triple-double of her career and is a Southland Conference record. Barrs also led the Cards with six steals.
 
ABILENE CHRISTIAN (4 Seed)
Series Record: 6-2 (9th Meeting)
Last Meeting: Feb. 6, 2019 (63-60, Lamar)
 
Abilene Christian enters the contest the SLC Tournament coming off a 102-53 win over UIW on March 9. The win for ACU was its 20th win of the season. The Wildcats enter the tournament as the fourth seed and received a bye until the second round.
 
Abilene Christian is led in scoring by Dominique Golightly, who is averaging 14.2 points per game. Golightly leads three other Wildcats who average in double-figures. Breanna Wright (13.3), Sara Williams (12.7), and Lexie Ducat (10.8) round out the double-figure scorers. Golightly leads the team in made three-pointers as she has made 63 threes on the season. Makayla Mabry and Ducat lead the team in rebounding, as they both average 6.3 rebounds per game.   
 
As a team, ACU is averaging 73.7 points per game and are shooting 46.1 percent from the floor. The Wildcats scored a season-high 109 points against McNeese on Jan. 9. Opponents are averaging 62.8 points per game and shooting 39.7 percent from the floor on the season.
 
Earlier this season the Cardinals defeated the Wildcats, 63-60, at the Moody Coliseum. The Cardinals trailed by eight, 42-34, entering the fourth quarter, but Lamar's offense woke up and scored 29 points and came back to earn its 12th win in a row with a 63-60 victory over Abilene Christian. The Cards had four players in double-figures led by Moe Kinard who scored 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Chastadie Barrs followed with 13 points. Miya Crump and Briana Laidler rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points apiece.

LAST TIME OUT – McNEESE
For the second straight season, the Lamar University women's basketball team won the Southland Conference regular season championship. The Cards defeated McNeese, 81-68, on senior day to win the championship as Chastadie Barrs, Moe Kinard and DeJa Roberts closed out their tenure at the Montagne Center.  
 
This is the first time in program history the Cardinals have won back-to-back Championships.
 
With the win, Lamar improves to 24-5 on the season and 17-1 in SCL action and clinched the top seed in the upcoming Southland Conference Tournament. McNeese falls to 7-22 and 5-13 in SLC play. This is the second straight season Lamar has finished 17-1 in Southland Conference action.
 
"We are happy with the victory. We knew McNeese would come at us with everything they had," remarked head coach Robin Harmony. "Hats off to our senior class. I am glad we got to send them out on top. I am proud of the way our kids played and that we got the job done."
 
Kinard led the Cardinals with 34 points on the night. She hit six three-pointers in the win. Miya Crump followed with 12 points rounding out the double-figure scorers. Barrs dished out a career-high 13 assists in the contest. The 13 assists are tied for third most assists in a single game in LU history.

UP NEXT
With a win, the Cardinals advance to the 2019 Southland Conference Championship game on Sunday, March 17 at 1 p.m. from the Merrell Center. A loss, the Cards will wait to see what postseason tournament they are off too.
 
SLC TOURNAMENT TICKETS
Ticket booklets and single-session tickets to the Southland Conference Tournament in Katy, Texas, are now on sale at the Montagne Center ticket office. The women's tournament runs from March 14-17.  The Montagne Center Ticket office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Ticket sells can be bought until Tuesday, March 12th at the Montagne Center. Tickets can also be purchased at the Merrell Center during the tournament by going through the LU ticket booth.
 
Fans can stay tuned to LamarCardinals.com or @LamarAthletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram all season long for updates on women's basketball and all other LU teams competing in the 2018-19 season.